Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Any examples used are for illustrative purposes only and do not take into account your particular investment objectives, financial situation or needs and may not be suitable for all investors. It is not intended to predict the performance of any specific investment and is not a solicitation or recommendation of any investment strategy.
[00:00:18] Speaker B: You're tuned in to the Retirement Planning Pipeline, the show that helps you take control of your financial future. Whether you're five years from retirement or just getting started, we've got the strategies, tools and experience to help make the most of your nest egg. Retirement planning specialists David Pipes and Steve Zarek are two trusted voices in retirement planning with over 30 years of combined experience helping hard working Americans navigate 401k rollovers, income planning, tax strategies and everything in between.
[00:00:49] Speaker C: Thanks for joining us. I am David Pipes and if you're wondering how to get yourself on the right track for retirement, how to turn your savings into steady income, you're in the right place.
[00:00:58] Speaker D: And I'm Steve Zarek. Each week we break down the complex world of retirement in plain English, no jargon, just smart strategies to help you retire with confidence.
[00:01:07] Speaker B: Now let's dive into today's show and start paving the way to your smooth retirement. Here are your hosts, David Pipes and Steve Zarek.
[00:01:16] Speaker E: Hi everybody. Welcome to this week's edition of the Retirement Planning Pipeline, the show that delivers expert insights, actionable advice, real world financial strategies to help you retire confidently and comfortably. Thank you for making our show part of your weekend. I'm your host Jim Tarabokia alongside retirement planning specialists David Byps and Steve Zarek and we'll talk to those guys in just a moment. Kickstart 2026 resolutions rebalancing in the Power of Annuities, Practical strategies for Lifetime Retirement Income and Financial confidence. Coming up on today's show, I Annuities could be a key investment in 2026. We'll give you the keys to rebalancing your portfolio and financial New Year's resolutions that we think you can keep. But before we get started, I do want to encourage our listeners to go ahead and schedule your 100 complimentary consultation with retirement planning specialist David Pipes and Steve Zarik today. It's a free offering just for listening to our show. It's kind of neat, right? Our listeners will meet with the guys to review their own financial situation for your family or for your business. And there's again, absolutely no obligation. So visit retirementplanningpipeline.com or call 850-565-1705. That phone number again, 850-565-1705 all right, guys, here we go. Financial New Year's resolutions we can help you, Keith. I mean we always talk about New Year's resolutions. If the new year starts on Sunday, usually resolutions for everybody, they're out the window by Wednesday. But financial New Year's resolutions we can help you keep. This is kind of a easier lists that will help you keep those resolutions intact. Starting the year strong with achievable money goals. These New Year's resolutions that we can help you keep. Number one, calculate your net worth. Number two, check up on your retirement accounts. Number three, update your savings goals. Number four, make a plan to pay off debts. And number five, guys rebalancing your portfolio. We'll discuss that a little bit later on in the show. But I think guys, this is a good list here that I think people can kind of keep and they can keep this intact as they go into the new year when they're trying to keep their financial New Year's resolutions.
[00:03:25] Speaker C: And I think checking up on the retirement accounts is my number one. And Steve, you know me, I, I, I tend to say this in a lot of seminars.
The main goal, I think in, in really every, every retiree out there should really be right maximizing the, the income, the growth portion of the retirement. One of the biggest things I think is definitely that Mac mines and income side for the new year. Right. Because people that are retiring and if you're out there and you're retiring, you definitely to meet us.
[00:03:53] Speaker D: You know, we meet a lot of people. We hear, you know, people calling in or asking about Social Security, is it going to be enough in retirement? And you know, they're worried. And you know, I read the statistic not too long ago and you think about it, Social Security income is only supposed to 35% of your retirement income. When we talk to people, 65% of their income in retirement needs to come from another source. And if they don't have a pension because we know wayside that maximizing their income with their investments, whatever their investments are, is huge in retirement. I think coming into the new year, you know, we really need to meet with people, talk to them about maximizing their income and you know, they can call our number one, you know, 850-565-1705 and set an appointment today. You know, start off the new year, let's look at their income and make sure that inflation's not going to hurt them.
[00:04:43] Speaker C: A lot of times you have brand new plans coming in. You've got, you know, you got some, some travels coming up. You, you know, after the New year, you've, you've kind of talked to family about going places. You've got, you know, some new expenses for the, for, for the home projects, right? We have, we have tons of clients that, that have a lot of expenses coming up and they, the new year and the year resolutions. But you know, the, the other part is too, is, is understanding, I think, really how to make a plan. The plan towards the income. Income's that first part of the plan. And Steve, we talk about that so much. And, and for anyone out there, again, you need to have a unique plan, right? Have that income, maximize, maximize that income so that your plan becomes easier for you.
[00:05:27] Speaker D: So David, let me ask you, if you're, you're talking about maximized income. So really, and Jim mentioned it earlier about rebalancing their portfolio, it's a good time of the year. So really you're talking about peeling off some of their overall investments, their retirement and earmarking those for income. Is that what you're talking about?
[00:05:42] Speaker C: Like 100%? Steve, if you are out there and you're touching or you have a 401k, you have an IRA, tsp4.3B, any type of qualified fund, right. Pre tax dollars, that's meant for income. As you retire, you're going to want a cash flow off of, off of those assets. So a lot of times people will actually pull from those. The best way to do it is have a plan for it and maximize that income. And that's what we do for people. That's what we would do for you. If you actually sit down with us, we can go over that plan to be able to not just take money out, right. But be able to maximize that and not let it run out. That's another key important fact. If you're out there and you're worried about running out of money, give us a call at 850-565-1705. We can sit down with you, right, for free, free consultation and help you create that plan to where you don't have to worry about running out of income down the road.
[00:06:35] Speaker D: You know, I was talking to a caller. I mean, he was a little bit younger. He's worried about retiring. He said he had about seven, eight years. Now we know people say seven, eight years and maybe 10 or 12 and maybe five or six. But he was trying to save and he's had some nice gains in the market.
And he's concerned what happens if the market has a correction in the next four or five years, and now I can't retire. So I told him he can start early, maximizing the income. There's vehicles out there that can roll up, guaranteed, and then give him the income he needs when he's ready to retire. And that's where we help people.
[00:07:05] Speaker C: That's a great point, Steve. So what you're saying is, hey, take what all the chips have given to you, right? I was just in a. Actually, I was just in a casino last weekend. I, you know, I was up on some blackjack, right? You're saying if I'm up, take the money and use it and be able to transition into a stream of income, right?
[00:07:21] Speaker D: Well, exactly. What a perfect time. You think about the rebalancing word. Now, the market's had a pretty good run for two, two and a half years. So we're at a, we're at a high right now. So the last thing somebody wants to do in retirement is have to sell when the market's down. That doesn't make smart business sense. That's not good planning. So why not take some of those gains? Like you said, I like blackjack as well. If you got the table's money, let's use the table's money to fill up income. Now we have everything.
[00:07:48] Speaker C: Great way to put it. That's a great way to put it, Steve, because I could tell you what, I'd rather use anybody else's money than mine to bet with, right? I mean, that's what, that's what these retire. That's what if you're retiring or you are planning to retire or you are retired, that's what you're doing, right? You've, you've had the contributions you put money in your entire life. Now it's time to cash out on all the earnings. And you have the highest ever of the market, the biggest boom. The baby boomers had three of the biggest booms in the generation of the stock market you have in your hands now. Utilize it and maximize your income off of that, off of those funds. And it's not a difficult scenario. Right? That's why people meet us. And when you sit down with us, it's a really quick explanation and easy to come by. Maximizing income is what everyone needs in retirement to cover those expenses. And again, if you need help with that, call us today. 850-565-1705. We'll sit down with you and we'll go over that plant.
[00:08:45] Speaker D: Well, the other thing, too, you know, I had a caller, I think it was when they started, it was a while back they were talking about that Trump ira. Now they're talking about the Trump account. And I think we can talk about that a little bit later on one of the other segments. But now I, you know, I have people all the time says, well, you know, Steve, I don't need all that income.
Well, hold on, what are you going to do with the account? Well, I'm going to leave it to my grandkids or now there may be a tax efficient way, especially with this new Trump account that they've established that's going to hit in July. And that's something we can help people if, you know, if they had a child born 2025-2028, we can help them set that up. And now they may have some tax savings and be able to create a savings account where your grandchildren, they hit 18, 20, 25 years old, has a tax free account that was funded by the grandparents who said they didn't need income. But now we have a guaranteed income. We pump it into the Trump account and it works great. You know, now everybody's, so what you're.
[00:09:41] Speaker C: Saying is, just to clarify now Trump is creating something to be able to actually pass on assets with a tax deduction?
[00:09:51] Speaker D: Yes. And it's, well, it's almost like a tax, it's almost like a Roth IRA for a grandkid. You know, they're supposed to give that extra thousand, you know, it's an earmark money. But really if you look at what they're trying to pass, and it got passed in July and supposed to be implemented this July, but if you look at it, we're taking appointments now to try to help people manage that. And if somebody starts pumping in, a family can add an additional 5,000 to each year for those children. And then when they hit a certain age, they can use it to start a business, they can use it to build a house or they can use it for education. And, and as they pull the money out, there's no taxes due on that account. What a neat concept that is. Awesome concept.
[00:10:29] Speaker C: And I'm, and I'm super happy to, you know, to get into that now, especially this year with all the grandkids coming in with our other client, with our, really our past clients and for our future clients.
[00:10:40] Speaker E: So, and before we go to break, I do want to give a quick tip to everybody about rebalancing your portfolio. If you're rebalancing your portfolio with a broker, they're likely charging you up to 5.5% to do this and this is not a fee efficient strategy. So with that said, we recommend that you work with someone or two people, some bodies, Steve and David, who have the best interests, your best interest in mind and look to save you money, not lose money. Coming up later, emerging trends and opportunities in annuity markets. But up next, rebalancing your portfolio for 2026. This is the Retirement Planning Pipeline. We're back in a moment.
[00:11:16] Speaker B: Visit Retirement Planning Pipeline to schedule your free, no obligation complimentary consultation today. The Retirement Planning Pipeline will return in just a moment.
Welcome back to the Retirement Planning Pipeline. Here are your hosts, David Pipes and Steve Zarek.
[00:11:49] Speaker C: Welcome back.
[00:11:49] Speaker E: Retirement Planning Pipeline. Thank you for making our show a part of your Saturday on WCOA News Talk. 104.9 new episodes every Saturday at 8am and as we dive back into today's show, a reminder, if you like the content we're providing, subscribe to the YouTube page YouTube.com and search Retirement Planning Pipeline for weekly video highlights and special content. Kickstart 2026 resolutions rebalancing in the power of Annuities, Practical strategies for lifetime retirement income and financial confidence. Coming up, why annuities are a safe and fee efficient way to generate a lifetime income stream. But guys, the stock market always has its ups and downs. We've talked about that on previous episodes. By rebalancing your portfolio to its original or updated asset allocation, you take steps to lock in gains from the sectors with the best returns and purchase shares in the sectors that have lagged behind. So if you rebalance your portfolio, guys, with a broker again, as I was talking about prior to going to break, they're likely charging you up to 5.5% in rebalance and fees. Obviously, this is not a fee efficient strategy. So David and Steve, let's discuss the importance of rebalancing your financial portfolio in the year 2026.
[00:13:01] Speaker C: Well, Jim, you know, great topic, but I think first of all, if you're rebalancing a portfolio, it should not be in the stock market fully if you're retiring. And you know, that's just, that's just common math. Okay there. Stock market's made for one thing and that's for growth. And anybody out there that obviously you guys are retiring or you're planning to, you need to rebalance in different ways, right? I mean, for myself, I'm 28 years old and I've got a good amount of cash balance. Okay. What that means is, is hey, if I need to buy more down the road when the market dips I can, I have, I can buy property, I can buy other things. But you should never have all your marbles in one place, especially in retirement. And I think rebalancing a portfolio specifically in the market, right. Brokers like to keep that because obviously that's where the fees accumulate, right? But the main idea is when you, when you retire, rebalancing becomes two parts income, okay? And I'm going to repeat this over and over again because I want to drill through everyone's head. Income is the most important part of rebalancing portfolios. It's probably 90% of clients that I meet already have it long, okay? And a lot of it comes from other brokers. And that's why rebalancing portfolios is so important on that side. And then the other side is growth, okay? Now that growth side, obviously it's for growth. You should not be meaning to touch it. If you are taking out income in retirement, you should not have it in the stock market. You should not have it risked at all. There is a part in a plan to that. That's why rebalancing a portfolio involves more than just the market itself. Again, if you need help rebalancing a portfolio with fee efficient, okay. Or you're not, let's just say, you know, paying for other unordinary things, right? Or tax efficiency. You need to meet us again. Call us today for a free consultation. 850-565-1705. We can really sit down and help you plan that income side and rebalance on each side so that you have the ability to grow but also have maximize of income.
[00:15:07] Speaker D: And David, I think you made a great point because I kind of tend to use the word the buckets, the bucket method. And when you're talking about rebalancing and you're looking at retirement and you're getting close to retirement or in retirement separating out the assets into different buckets. You hit the nail on the head when you talk about income. Income should be the first bucket that you plan in retirement or pre retirement. Unless you know, you. And that's where you know I'm talking about the Social Security. And it's going to the shortcomings of Social Security. And you know, it's just not enough in today's environment with inflation, with everything going on, the rise of cost, I mean, the dinners are getting more expensive, travel is more expensive. You know, everything we look at, the vehicles are more expensive. How are you going to supplement that income in retirement? And you have to maximize it. So we need to take a bucket. And the first thing we need to do is look at the income bucket and that's where we can help do that. When you're working like you are, David, and I'm still working, we're putting money in all the time, whether it's up or down. So we're buying at the high, we're buying at the low. But when you retire, you have a shift that goes on and it's really important to maximize your income and, and look at that income bucket first. And the other thing I like that you do is you talk about you may just have two buckets. If it's not an income, then maybe we have some in growth. I also like to throw in the length, the terms. Is it short term, is it long term, is it midterm? You know, because there's certain, you know, people have certain things that come up. They want to buy a new car in three years, they want to go on a major trip every two years. So there's different planning techniques that we can help people with. I think when you talk about rebalancing, it's a perfect time of the year. Taxes are coming up in a few months. You know, let's start off with the income. And are you getting the most tax efficient income and also the best fee efficient income, Right.
[00:16:49] Speaker C: And the opportunity that you have now as a retiree to be able to meet people like us and help you plan and maximize your income. I cannot say it enough to be able to maximize that income. But also know that your 401k or IRA and can be rebalanced into both sides, right? One for income and one for growth. And Steve even mentioned, you know, having.
[00:17:13] Speaker D: A little bit of short term and long term.
[00:17:14] Speaker C: Listen, growth can be short term or long term. You've had, if you have money sitting in checking account or a savings account, you do it the wrong way, the entirely wrong way. Okay, now money markets are fine, CDs are fine. If you're, if it's really, really short term, if it's six months, eight months, nine months, that's, that's, that's totally fine when we're looking at this stuff, right? The whole goal is to be able to maximize income and growth on both sides. Rebalancing portfolios, people think is, is super complicated. It can be simple for retirees. It gets simpler as you age. Right. For me, you know, plugging in different sectors. What sector's hot, things like that. Tech's hot, is AI hot, whatever. Stocks are growing as fast as possible.
Crypto just came up in the past 10 years. You guys retirees didn't have that 30, 40 years ago. Right. So there's different things for me to invest in as a young investor. But when you retire, things get simple. Well, things should get simple. And that's why you have us. And that's why I think one of the big things that we really push into is simplify your retirement, maximize your income so you don't have to worry about the assets that are growing. Make sure that you're giving yourself the time to travel. You're, you're not worrying about things overnight. You're not worrying about your portfolio losing money the next Monday or, or a dead Friday. Right. You're, you have that money put aside to where your income streams coming off. And you know, when I first got in the business a couple of years ago, Steve, this was something huge that you always pushed the more numbers that I did that when I went into it, you know, being a math grain, it makes sense position.
You saw a certain amount of assets. Now 401ks and IRAs are perfect for this. It has a huge, huge impact. That's why you save that money right now, be able to continue and use that into actual stream of income to be able to supplement those expenses and the income that you need. And if you don't use it and you're maximizing your income, Steve, what do you do with it?
[00:19:15] Speaker D: Right. You can reinvest it and then you're buying like you were when you were younger.
[00:19:19] Speaker C: So now you're, now you're telling me we can maximize income as a retiree, but then if I don't, usually I can reinvest it.
[00:19:24] Speaker D: Yeah.
You know, David, all the years I've done this, the happiest clients I've run into are the ones that have more income than they need. And I, and that's why I think it's so important going into the new year, talking about rebalancing, you know, setting up an income stream, hopefully more than they need. And then they can help do the Trump account or they can reinvest it or if there's a hot stock they want to buy, or maybe they want to donate money to a charity. They've got so much income coming in, they're not worried about a little bit of inflation and that's perfect retirement and that's where we can help.
[00:19:55] Speaker C: That's, that's, that's huge. And to be able to say, hey look, inflation's growing, but guess what, we're maximizing your income We're, I mean, that's our Steve, you know me, that's what my goal is on every meeting. And again, if you want to sit down and meet with us to talk about income and maximizing your income through your TSP, through your 401k, through your IRAs, even do some non qualified money if you sell a house, call us today at 850-565-1705. We'll sit down with you, we'll go over this.
[00:20:27] Speaker D: And I think, important thing is, David, is, is using a guaranteed vehicle, that it's guaranteed income. I think, I don't know if we use that word guaranteed enough. Because last thing you want to do is have this income coming in and all of a sudden an outside market, you know, maybe the housing crash or the stock takes a reversal and now you've got to change your income plan. We don't want that. We want guaranteed income set up when you retire to simplify your retirement. And I think that's what people are looking for, whether you're young or old. You know, people five, six years from retirement. Let's earmark that. You know, we work a lot with, with nurses and school teachers and you know, retired federal workers have the TSPs, you know, and they're like, oh, I can get this through that. Well, let's maximize that income and keep it safe and set that part of your planning and have that out of the question. Now let's look at the other part, the other buckets of your retirement.
[00:21:17] Speaker C: It's a great point and you just said it and I know I don't say it enough, but other than just maximizing that income, you need to be able to know that you're maximizing the income for life so that you do not run out. I have met so many people that have ran out of income in a short amount of time. And I'm telling you, it could happen in a click of a finger, okay? So you have to make sure that you're planning correctly. What's put away is guaranteed again. We can help with that. Keep some guaranteed income, feed yourself on what the cash flow has and down the road you're going to be so much happier in retirement. We deal with it every single day. We get the calls, we get the reviews, we get the clients on the phone, they're in random countries, they're on beaches and they're having the best time of their entire lives. Make sure that you're living your retirement the best way and, and you're maximizing your income for your goals.
[00:22:07] Speaker E: And a quick reminder, our listeners can start working with the guys today. David and Steve are here to discuss your income goals and vision for retirement. We'll take a look at your current income plan and portfolio of assets, walk you through their recommended plan, and answer as many questions that you may have for retirement. Reach out get started with your own assessment today. Visit retirement planningpipeline.com or call 850-565-1705. Again that phone number 850565 for a no obligation consultation. This is the Retirement Planning Pipeline Helping.
[00:22:40] Speaker B: You take control of your financial future this is the Retirement Planning pipeline.
[00:22:55] Speaker A: Do you want a steady stream of income for retirement? Then it's time to consider annuities I'm Matt McClure with the Retirement Radio Network powered by Amerilife. Gone are the days when most employers offered pensions with guaranteed lifetime payouts to their workers. But what if I told you that you can build your own personal pension? It's possible with an annuity. An annuity is a financial product that provides a series of regular payments to an individual over a specified period of time, often for the rest of their life.
[00:23:24] Speaker C: There are several options for you to consider when choosing an annuity.
Be confident in knowing that there is an annuity out there that can meet all of your needs.
[00:23:32] Speaker A: Ford Stokes is founder and President of Active Wealth Management and author of the book Annuity360. There are several different types of annuities including fixed, variable and fixed indexed.
[00:23:42] Speaker C: A fixed annuity offers a specific guaranteed interest rate on their contributions to the account. A fixed indexed annuity is an accumulation based product offered by an insurance company. The growth of your fixed index annuity is dependent on the performance of a chosen stock market index, but your money is not actually invested in this index. This offers you great growth potential and exceptional protection for your investment.
[00:24:07] Speaker A: While each can provide tax deferred growth and a lifetime income stream, variable annuities put your principal at risk in the market.
[00:24:14] Speaker C: If you are currently investing in a variable annuity, your funds could be in serious trouble if the market experience any downturns.
[00:24:21] Speaker A: With so many possible choices to consider, it's essential you speak to a financial advisor or professional to help you make the best decision for your future.
So are you ready to consider an annuity as part of your retirement plan? It's a key question to consider as you approach what should be your golden years with the Retirement Radio Network powered by AmericanLife. I'm Matt McClure.
[00:24:41] Speaker B: Welcome back to the Retirement Planning Pipeline. Here are your hosts, David Pipes and.
[00:24:47] Speaker E: Steve Zarek, this is the Retirement Planning Pipeline. If you've missed any part of today's show or want to go back and listen to previous episodes, go ahead and subscribe and listen to the program in podcast form, Apple, Spotify or whichever platform you enjoy your podcast. All right, stay with us because coming up, we will zoom in on the annuity landscape for 2026. But first, let's dive into this week's quote of the week.
[00:25:13] Speaker B: And now for some financial wisdom. It's time for the quote of the week.
[00:25:21] Speaker E: And our quote of the week comes to us from Warren Buffett. Warren said, quote, first two rules of investing, don't lose money. Don't forget rule number one. Our thanks to the great Warren Buffett for this week's financial wisdom. Quote of the week. Our first quote of the week of 2026 comes from none other than the great Warren Buffett. And as we dive back into today's show, if you like the content we're providing, subscribe to the YouTube page YouTube.com and search Retirement Planning Pipeline for weekly video highlights and special content. David Steve, why annuities are a safe and fee efficient way to generate a lifetime income stream that you will need to cover expenses throughout your 30 plus year retirement. Building a reliable retirement paycheck for your 30 plus year horizon. With life expectancy stretching, many face that 30 plus years post work. So enter annuities, a powerhouse for guaranteed income. We'll explore why they're safe, cost effective and essential. But guys, let's break down annuities and why they may be a safe bet for your retirement portfolio in 2026.
[00:26:24] Speaker C: We're getting into that, Jim. I mean, we got to go over Warren Buffett one more time. I mean, come on. The first rule is don't lose money, right? I mean, the first rule, don't lose money. Second rule is don't forget the rule number one. Why is that so important in retirement? Well, I know Steve's going to go over some things with you guys, but my biggest part is this. If you're looking at not losing, right, and you're, and you don't, you don't want to lose the actual money that you've actually gained over the years and cash out big. Obviously the market's up. That's the whole point of some of these annuities, guys. I mean, that's what they're here for, right? The fixed in the fixed index and the guaranteed income, they're there so that you don't lose money. Okay, so that's Warren Buffett the best investor of all time is telling you, hey, that's a great way to get into this. Now, granted, there's the good, bad and the ugly amount immunities, right? I mean, that's the, that's the big topic, the bid, the big word we hear every single day. You know, are they a big part of the retirement portfolio? 100%. I mean, I think Steve Wood was. The statistics right now on those. I mean, how, how many billions of dollars went in there this past year, do you know?
[00:27:32] Speaker D: Oh, it's, well, it's, I've been tracking you all got over, you know, three decades in this business and you know, the last three, four years have set all time deposit records because, you know, the baby boomers are retiring, they're looking at alternatives, they want some guarantees and you can get those with the annuities. Now, you mentioned it earlier, the good, the bad, and I call it the fine print because we got a pamphlet that we can send people, you know, anybody calls in today from today's show, you know, call 1-850-565-1705 and we can get that to you. It's called the good, the bad and the fine print. The fine print's what you have to look at when you're looking at annuities. But annuities, you know, they go back to the ancient Egyptian Roman Empire. Annuities have been around forever. Social Security is a form of an annuity. Pensions are done through annuities. Lottery winnings are done paid out through annuities. So, you know, if you're looking at something safe, you know, that may be the right, you know, depending on if you get the right one, that may be what's good for you. If you're looking at getting something to give you some income to put your money somewhere safe, you can still get growth. And I think the, the headwind from the annuities over the last three or four years is a lot of the competition. And they've come out with new products, new annuities give you growth linked to the index, which is linked to the market without the risk.
So, you know, I try to tell somebody, it's like that elevator, it never goes down. You know, if the market goes down, you lock free on that floor. If it goes up, you keep going up. And I think that's where you've seen a popularity, you know, of the annuities in retirement. There's two ways, you know, is an annuity going to give you a gain of a, of a hot stock that goes up 300% or, you know, Bitcoin that, you know, you know. No, that's not what annuities are designed for. The annuities are designed to give you a good return, keep your money safe, and provide income if you want income. And I think that's where the popularity in the retirement. With the annuities.
[00:29:23] Speaker C: Yeah. And if you look. And again, I'm pretty sure probably 80, 90% of retirees out there or planning to retirees want to know more about annuities. It's the big topic out there. It's the big word. It's why all this money's going in there. We can sit down with you and go with the good, bad, the ugly, okay? It doesn't fit everyone's plan. Again, it does not fit everyone's plan. You have to look at them. You have to understand them. They're complicated. I actually went to school for these things, okay? So from the insides and outs, as an actuarial science major, I have did every formula that goes inside of each annuity. The problem is they're so dang complicated mathematically that the finance world doesn't really evolve around the annuity world. Okay? And why I say that is if you have an annuity out there and you have that big old book, that policy that you get, you know what I'm talking about? You see all those formulas in the back of the book? They're mathematical calculus formulas. They're nothing to do with your financial earnings per share ratios. Okay? So totally.
[00:30:22] Speaker D: Well, it's funny because even you hear some of these entertainers that on these financial channels and I heard somebody the other day, quote, that annuities shouldn't be in your retirement plan because they have surrender periods of 30 years.
Those don't even exist today. So, you know, and this is a guy talking on a financial channel. I'm like, okay. He's giving bad information now and again.
[00:30:43] Speaker C: Though, you know, to. To combat that. Steve, sometimes people should not be with. I mean, there's this. There's annuities being sold out there that this should not. That are not fit for the. For the client, I mean. Oh, absolutely. So that's why really sitting down with us again, if you sit down with us and you understand if it even fits your plan, first of all, what type that your plan. Whether you want income growth without any risk. Right. No loss at all, no fees. Okay? In, call us 850-565-1705. We can go over each structure with you and make sure you understand fully. And we'll even see that pamphlet, as well as Steve was talking about, of the do's, don'ts and the uglies. Right. I mean, and again, every single one of these go into certain aspects of where sometimes they're a little bit over your head. So you need someone like us to kind of sit down and go over them as a fiduciary act, but really, you know, for the best interest of you. And, you know, we, we. We come across it a lot. So.
[00:31:38] Speaker D: Well, and that's the thing, David. The one thing I want to tell listeners, you know, on this show is you don't want to be in the wrong annuity.
[00:31:46] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:31:47] Speaker D: You don't. And I'm gonna say that again. You don't want to get in the wrong annuity. And you have to be really careful when you're making that financial decision. And that's where we can sit down with you. Look at the 3,000 different annuities that are available in the Florida area. There's probably 2900 in Alabama. We can sit down and sort them out. And if it's something that fits your retirement plan, then we'll help you find the right one. When you get in the wrong one, it could be a disaster and a great.
[00:32:12] Speaker C: Steve. And again, just what, what you said, Steve, also, I want to let listeners know out there and if you, if you need help, if you have an annuity. Okay. And you feel uncertain about it. Okay. Or there's something going on, or you would just want to get a quick checkup or a quick, you know, evaluation of the annuity. It's a free consultation, guys. We are here for you. If you want to look at it and dissect it on a whiteboard, understand what it's for, if it's doing the goals that you need, or is there a better annuity out there that I can actually do the same goal that you put that. Those funds in for? We can go over that. We've got all the companies. Okay. So we can sit down with you individually and see if that's actually the annuity that you need. We do a ton of annuity reviews, a ton of them. I just did two yesterday. So if you need that, sit down and, hey, I'll bring a statement in. Don't be scared, okay? We're here to help. We're here to see what we can do for you. And if we can improve it, we can. Right now, there's some suitability clauses and things like that, but again, you know, there's a lot of laws that Protect the consumer. But that's one thing that we love to do, right? We love to make that relationship and be able to help the client and go towards your goals and maybe even make things better again. If you need help with those annuities, if you have an annuity or if you're looking into one, please call us. Give us a call today at 850-565-1705, and we can definitely sit down with you and help out.
[00:33:35] Speaker D: The other thing I want to bring up, we're talking about the annuities, and there's a lot of positives. There's a lot of. They fit the retirement. That's why you see all these record sales and deposits into annuities.
But the one thing that if you, you know, David brought it up. If you already have an annuity, we run into this all the time. Most of the people don't understand them.
You know, maybe they. Somebody sold it to them. Maybe they met somebody at a seminar. Maybe they heard about one product and they really liked it and they got into it. And then we're two, three, four years down the road, and they kind of forget what they have.
And a lot of the clients we run into, maybe like yourself, don't really know what to ask, don't know who to call. We will sit down. We meet with you. We sit down, even though we didn't do the annuity with you. We'll get on the phone, we'll put it on speakerphone, conference call. We will sit down and we'll ask the questions. You give that company permission, and we'll go through from A to Z about your annuity. And when we hang up with that company, we'll explain how it works. And sometimes it's in the good. It works perfect for the way you wanted it. Sometimes we find out it's not. Sometimes we found out, hey, in the last three or four years, they've improved so much now that you may want to look at converting it to a newer one. You know, just like you would upgrading a new car or, you know, upgrading your house or anything. You know, something. All these people getting these new iPhones, you know, it could be the same thing. Maybe there's new and better opportunities out there for you, and that's what will help you find that.
[00:34:58] Speaker C: And I tell you what, we're seeing a lot of that, Steve, because of the competition right now within the space. So, yes, I mean, that's one thing. And again, sit down, meet with us.
If we can't help you, we can't help you, but 99% of the time we can. We love the relationship part. Give us a call, set up a free consultation.
But another thing that Steve said that I love to, you know, make sure that you're in the right one. And what does that mean? That means, hey, look, if you don't want to lose money, there's certain annuities you shouldn't be in, okay? You have to understand these things before you put your money in them. All right? So again, give us a call. We can go over those things side by side kind of with the comparison chart, dumb it down, break it down for you and make sure you understand what you're getting into. Right. Because there's a lot of annuities out there that you don't want to get into. Okay.
[00:35:47] Speaker D: And there's annuities that have fees. So if you're looking at something as doesn't have fees, doesn't have risk, then you need to make sure you're in the right one. And that's where we can help you pick it out. You know, especially in retirement, you want to eliminate the risk, you want to eliminate the fees. Keep it, you know, fee efficient. And that's what we'll help you with.
[00:36:04] Speaker E: If there's anything we've shared on this week's show that makes sense to you and you could use some help with a free no obligation retirement consultation, don't hesitate to give us a call. We do do this show to bring important information to people like you and we do love meeting our listeners. Visit retirement planningpipeline.com or call 850-565-1705. That phone number again, 850-565-1705 for your personalized investment confidence checkup. After the break, we'll wrap up the show with why Annuities could be a key investment in 2026. Thanks for listening. The Retirement Planning Pipeline. We're back after this.
[00:36:40] Speaker B: Planning for retirement doesn't have to be overwhelming. Get expert insights, tools and personalized strategies to secure your future. Visit retirementplanningpipeline.com today.
Missed part of today's show. The retirement planning Pipeline is available wherever you get your podcasts and@retirement planningpipeline.com welcome.
[00:37:11] Speaker E: Back inside the Retirement Planning Pipeline, the show that delivers delivers expert insights, actionable advice in real world financial strategies to help you retire confidently and comfortably. Jim Taraboki here alongside retirement planning specialists David Phipes and Steve Zarek. Thank you for making our show a part of your weekend. Of course, on whichever platform of your choosing kickstart 2026 resolutions rebalancing in the power of Annuities. Practical strategies for lifetime retirement income and financial confidence. Continuing on the topic guys of annuities, let's talk about the trends and here's why annuities could be your portfolio's NVP this year. Trend number one, high interest rates lingering from Fed policies make fixed indexed annuities shine with 4 to 6% guaranteed returns better than bonds. Trend number two, inflation protection. New products with CPI linked riders safeguard against rising costs crucial for 30 year retirements. Trend number three, tech innovations. And I think both David and Steve, you guys mentioned that earlier. With AI digital platforms simplifying simply buying and with AI driven customization for personalized income streams. Trend number three, very important. Trend four, wealth transfer boom. As boomers passed $68 trillion to their hairs. Annuities offer tax efficient inheritance options. And finally trend number five, guys market volatility hedge with the AI hype and global ships annuities provide stability for fixed growth potential. And I think trend number five is one of the more important ones. When we talk about newer technology, global shifts, the AI craze now, I mean, I mean how many AI systems are out there? AI certainly, whether it's a boom or not, it's certainly something that is a fixture right now and becoming more and more of a fixture in our financial market.
So again with annuities here, talking about why they are so important and why they could be your Portfolio's NVP in 2026.
[00:39:02] Speaker C: Yeah, I think, well, all those, all those segments are nice and you know, we could talk about those for days. But I don't really want to bore everyone about each specific segment. What I want to get across is this, okay, in retirement you need to maximize income. Again, maximizing income is the most important thing in retirement. Okay. And I think everybody can agree with that. Everybody that's going to retire, that's on their way to retire or that is retired, right. Or is retired and seeing it now. Right. And they wish they did maximize their income years ago.
That's the where the base is hit. Okay, you have to start with that. Yes, gross, all fine and dandy and making sure that you don't lose money in the market, that can be that, that can be there. You know, it depends on the client's goals, right. If you want to leave something, the heirs or not, there's some tax efficient ways to do that with the wealth transfer in the market volatility. But the main thing is this maximizing income helps out with all of them, okay? And I can't stress that enough. When you're able to sit down and meet someone like us and. And really maximize the income that you have to cover the expenses and take that stress away from you, okay? All these things kind of balance out, okay? The wealth transfer. All right, well, guess what happens when. When your income's satisfied and maximized again, you don't have to worry about the other funds that are growing, okay? Those funds should be in a volatile place to grow, and you shouldn't have to worry about taking money out of it. Okay? The wealth transfer gets better, right? See how that correlates. The same thing goes with tech innovations. If you have your money in the market, okay, in certain places that you're not touching, you're going to have those booms, you're going to have the volatility, but you're not touching it. So you don't care to take it out, right? It all stems from maximizing your income, right? The income that you lose when you retire. And a quick example of that, okay? We had a client that had about a $250,000 income a year.
A spouse, two spouses, their security, Social Security, end up being $60,000, all right? Just 60 grand. They had a loss of $190,000 a year of income. Do you think their lifestyle was going to be the same as they were when they were 55 and working?
No, obviously not. They're going to be traveling more, seeing the grandkids, doing different things, okay? Spending a little bit more money, right? Buying new toys, things like that. Christmas presents, right? Maybe giving some money to the kids. The idea of that, okay, is to be able to close that gap, all right? And that's where really, the maximizing the income side can really, really help you out with. Especially with some of these annuities that can actually do that for you. And these are a big, big topic right now with maximizing income. One of our clients alone put in a million dollars, and I think they're. This year is turned on at 66 years old and is making $100,000 a year, guaranteed for the rest of his life. If he turns 100 years old for 34 years, he will get $3.4 million, okay? That is absolutely absurd. Guaranteed for life, never runs out, never has to worry about the market. That's where these things have. Have their own, you know, had their own entity, and that's where they really, really work when it comes to a personalized pension and things like that.
Steve, talk a little bit about to these, to, you know, our callers day or prospects. What, what do we have with the inflation protection, you know, in the market volatility, especially with what you love to do with the, you know, the caps and taking some index with the S P500 and then the Nasdaq and things like that.
[00:42:42] Speaker D: Here's the thing. The more I think about all the years we've helped people and the people listening when they're making that shift in retirement and they're getting to retirement or they're in retirement, some of the things that, you know, I hear from my clients and from the callers that call in, they want to simplify their retirement.
If anybody on this call is bought and sold stocks and tried to make gains and time the market, we know how stressful that can be. So that's really. Unless it's a hobby of yours, which a lot of our clients don't want to mess with that when they retire, they're planning other things like family trips and vacations and, you know, holidays. That's where you can say, okay, how can I get some of the gains that are linked to the market? So if the market goes up, I'm not sitting at a CD at three and a half percent because I feel like I lost. Maybe I should have been in the market where you can attach these index annuities that eliminate the risk but give you opportunity for growth. And it goes back to what you said earlier. It's almost like saying, hey, if, you know, if I can go up and I can go up and not go down, why would I not do that in retirement? Because of an, you know, I may miss some boom. Well, that boom's gone. Or maybe we reposition and do a bucket for some conservative growth, have some aggressive growth in the stock market and then have some income on the other side. Now we've got three buckets where the income satisfied like you talked about, you've maximized the income. You now have growth that's kept safe and you have a little bit of risk that's aggressive and that's perfect scenario for retiree, right?
[00:44:11] Speaker C: And gaining in gaining the S and P and the NASDAQ growth without having to actually be in the market. I cannot stress it enough again for you listeners out there. You're getting market link gains or if you want to fix that's totally fine. But you're, you're able to gain market latent gains without the risk. I mean, there's nothing better or nothing sweeter than that. You're literally basically investing or tracking the stock market without having a downside risk and the compound features in the mathematical world on that really maximize what you can do afterwards and how you can take money out of there. So both sides. Maximizing income is of course, I'll say it over and over again, is the most important thing, income for life. Make sure you personally can maximize your income for life and it never goes down again. Maximize your income for life and let it never go down into the time that you die. Okay? That is the best way to really start off the retirement cycle. But another big portion of that we're talking about it now is being able to attach your growth to these market link gains and get 7 to 10% without downside risk. Okay? If you told me as a retiree that I can make average of 7% a year without market risk, I am literally going to put all my money into it that I can right now. I have money on the side obviously with certain things, but that it's a, it's an advantage that not a lot of people had back then that you do now.
[00:45:44] Speaker D: Well, not only that, David, if you think about it, if you're talking about retirement, you're talking about an index linked return that doesn't have fees.
So there's no fees, there's no risk and you have an opportunity for growth. That's a conservative, a high conservative growth. And to me, without a complication, without having to buy and sell and call on your broker every day. And you know, that is the neatest thing. It gives you peace of mind, it gives you guarantees and respectable earnings that are linked to the market without risk. So you know, to me, and I think that's where you see the popularity of these annuities.
But again, like we said before, you've got to be in the right one. So if you, if you want, if you're questioning an annuity, you're looking at it, you have one, you need to call us, set up a time, we'll do a consultation with you. 850-565-1705. Again, ask for David or Steve. We will get with you. We'll do a consultation on a zoom. We can do it in the person at the office. We could do a phone call with you, but we can definitely help you picking the right one, getting those market link gains without the risk with low.
[00:46:52] Speaker C: Fees or no fees and also answering the right questions. If you guys are out there and you have questions, we do these every week. We, we want your feedback. Okay, please call in, let us know what you have. If you if you, if you hear something that you haven't heard before and you want to know more information on it, please give us a call again, 850-565-1705. We can sit down, go over a plan, maybe even just talk to you, see what you have questions about. Again, if you're interested in that, maximizing the income and as well as potential gains without risk, right? Not having to risk your money in the market, being able to capitalize on what you've gained for all these years in your 401ks, IRAs, TSPs. That's the whole goal of retirement, is to be able to really monopolize on those, okay? And you guys have a great advantage of them, especially pre retirees from the age of 55 and up. You really do have it. Plan for that income. Maximize your income maximize. Plan for the maximizing of the income down the road, okay? Even if you're 55, 56, 57, you're going to have a big income play come in down the road and you know it, right? That's what that 401k or IRA is meant for. So again, if you need help with that free consultation or if you want questions or if you have questions, we have pamphlets, we have brochures.
I'm sure that when you call though, it'll be pretty nice to talk to us because, you know, we, we, we, we really do come down to earth and talk to you guys on a personal level and see what your goals are in general before we even get in anything. Okay? You know, and we, that's definitely why we're in the business and we're in this career is because we love what we do. We love helping people out, especially retirees.
We just love to, to be able to help the community. So again, Steve, you know, the last thing I have for you, man, I think I want to really know this, okay?
You're, you're in, you're not just retiring yet.
[00:48:48] Speaker D: Easy now, David.
[00:48:50] Speaker C: I won't go there. I won't go there, okay? And for you listeners, he's not that old, I promise. All right? But what I want to ask you is this.
When you would do retire, and I know you're a workaholic and you love all your clients, but when you do retire, you know, five, 10 years, what, what, what's your goal when you retire? Because I feel like someone that, you know, as far as you're actually planning it, closer than I am, obviously. Is your goal to pass most to your kids or is your goal to try to Maximize your income and give the kids what, what, what's left?
[00:49:21] Speaker D: Yeah, you know, that's a great question because I am getting closer and closer as the years go by. But, you know, and I think about the callers that are out there and the people that we deal with.
To me, I want a simple retirement. I don't want the ups and downs of the market, whether we're going to war, Venezuela or Iran or there's a bombing or, you know, a new president and you know, all kind. I don't want to worry about all that stuff. I want to make sure I have maximized income.
I have some assets that are safe and protected and I also have some assets are going to get the growth, you know, if the market does boom or, you know, we have, we see a tech boom. So, and that's something that I think we can provide for people. David is sitting down with them, working on their retirement pipeline, their retirement plan. And, you know, I want to simplify the callers. I want to keep them in something safe. But again, maximizing the income. To me, income's king. And I've seen this For 30 years I've been doing this. So when I retire, I want more income that I can spend and that.
[00:50:16] Speaker C: Is my goal and that's having all those hands, right? You just talked about tons and not a lot of financial advisors do that, Steve, so I'm so glad you did. You talked about three different things that really are talked about one's income. Right. The second is safe assets and the third is growth.
Steve, you don't understand.
People out there don't retire. If you're listening now, I promise you, the majority of you don't have that. A lot of you just have one in the market and maybe, maybe your primary house or a rental property, right? You don't have the assets allocated properly or in a.
[00:50:50] Speaker D: Right.
[00:50:50] Speaker C: In the right place. You're not maximizing your income in the right scenario to where you don't have to worry about the others down the road and they can do what they're meant for.
[00:50:58] Speaker D: And it's the perfect time, you know, to rebalance your account. You know, we mentioned in this segment that annuities could be the MVP. It's a good time to talk about MVPs. Got some exciting football games coming up.
You know, let. The annuity could be the MVP of your. Of your year.
[00:51:13] Speaker C: The annuity can also be the, the devil in your portfolio. So don't get it twisted. It can go either way. And that's why we're here to really sit down with you, understand these things and help you out, you know, and, and we'd love to do it. We, we want to hear your questions. Give us a call. We're looking forward to meeting you.
[00:51:31] Speaker E: Yeah, give the guys a call at 850-565-1705. That phone number again, 850-5655, 1705 or you can visit retirement planning pipeline.com and if you missed any part of today's show, don't forget to subscribe to the program and podcast form on Apple, Spotify or whichever platform you use to get your podcast. Russell on Iheart and Pandora and some other podcast platforms that maybe people don't subscribe to, but we're on there as well. We got to give them some love too. But Again, Apple, Spotify, iHeart, Andora, wherever you get your podcast, hit that subscribe subscribe button, leave a review and also subscribe to the show on YouTube. Search Retirement Planning Pipeline on YouTube for clips and special content as well. This is the Retirement Planning Pipeline for David Pipes, Steve Zarek Jim Taraboki is saying so long. Have a great week and we will talk to you next weekend.
[00:52:23] Speaker B: Thanks for listening to this week's episode of the Retirement Planning Pipeline, the show that helps you take control of your financial future. Whether you're five years, years from retirement or just getting started, retirement planning specialists David Pipes and Steve Zarek have the strategies, tools and experience to help you make the most of your nest egg. Take control of your financial future and get started today by visiting retirementplanningpipeline.com and if you missed any part of the show today or want to catch up on past episodes, be sure to subscribe to the Retirement Planning Pipeline wherever you get your podcasts.
Not affiliated with the United States Government, Amerilife agents do not offer tax, legal or investment advice. Consult with your tax advisor or attorney regarding specific situations. Opinions expressed are subject to change without notice. These opinions are not intended as investment advice, nor do they predict future performance of any product. All information provided is believed to be from reliable sources. However, we make no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of any statement. This information is intended to be educational in nature and does not provide a guarantee or specific result. All copyrights and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Amerilife assumes no responsibility or liability for the content of this message. The information contained herein is provided on an as is basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness, timeliness, or the results obtained from the use of this information. Charles David Pipes and Steven Zurich are individually licensed and appointed.
Learn more@retirement planningpipeline.com I am speaking with.
[00:53:54] Speaker A: Charlie Wise, Senior Vice President, Head of global research at TransUnion. Charlie, thanks so much for taking a few minutes to speak with me. I really appreciate it.
[00:54:02] Speaker F: Thank you. Great to be with you.
[00:54:04] Speaker A: Well, we just had the latest inflation numbers come out from the federal government. Tell us what those numbers are showing. Is inflation easing much, if at all?
[00:54:18] Speaker F: The numbers do show that inflation appears to be easing, which is really good news. The Fed has been working very hard to bring down that soaring rate of inflation, has made solid progress.
More work needs to be done, I believe, before the Fed is ready to declare that they're ready to start lowering interest rates. But I think this is a very positive sign. And the chances for rate cuts, if not this month and later this year, are still very much on the table.
[00:54:46] Speaker A: Yeah, and that picture, of course, has changed with the persistence of inflation. Right. I mean, we were talking about maybe at the beginning of the year, multiple rate cuts this year, but those expectations have kind of been tempered. So it seems like consumers are going to be dealing with those higher interest rates, at least for the time being.
[00:55:06] Speaker F: That yield higher for longer, I think is very much still in play at this point. Although I believe that the dot plot this morning from the Fed ward showed about 1.5 rate cuts this year. So somewhere between 1 and 2 is, is the expectation of most of the Fed board.
So again, we might be in store for a rate cut in September or November.
We'll have to see how things continue to play out and whether the interest, sorry, the inflation data continues to show that positive progress that everyone's looking for?
[00:55:41] Speaker A: And with the inflation picture leading to those continued high interest rates, what are some strategies that you can share for consumers to be able to, you know, deal with this environment that we really haven't seen in this country? You know, we've gotten a little used to it now, I guess, but we hadn't seen it prior to this in probably 40 years.
[00:56:02] Speaker F: Exactly right.
So one of the things that we've seen over the past several years is that the amount of credit card debt that US Consumers are holding has reached record levels. There's over a trillion dollars of total outstanding credit card debt. We've never seen levels that high.
And credit cards tend to be one of the most expensive forms of borrowing that consumers can have. The average credit card interest rate is well over 20% now.
And that's going to put a big strain on consumers that are carrying high Balances. So one of the key strategies that we recommend is to try to maintain as low a balance that you're carrying from month to month as you can. I know that's always a tall order. Consumers and households are stretched right now. But if you can get those credit card balances down, it's really going to have a material impact on how much interest you're paying.
You write your credit card payment every month and so much of that goes to interest that really just eats up a lot of that household income. So if, if you can get the balances down, great. If you have the opportunity to refinance it onto a cheaper form of borrowing, say an unsecured personal loan, even a home equity loan or line of credit, these are great strategies because those are much cheaper forms of borrowing. But just keeping your credit card balances down, if you can pay them off every month, even better.
[00:57:24] Speaker A: Yeah. And that, you know, talking about the interest rate, the high interest rates there, not only do they tend to be some of the highest on credit cards, as you said, but you know, if you carry that balance each and every month, it compounds. So it's like. Was it Albert Einstein called compounding interest the eighth wonder of the world?
[00:57:43] Speaker F: I think so that, that's also wonderful if you're saving. Terrible if you're borrowing.
[00:57:49] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly. And saving, you know, I think too, if you've got some income, if you're not stretched far, far too thin on your credit cards and, and you know, any sort of interest bearing or interest charging, I guess I should say, for lack of a better term, loans or other, you know, lines of credit, that kind of thing. You know, saving could be one of the sort of silver linings around this high interest cloud. Right.
[00:58:17] Speaker F: Consumers definitely have benefited from the higher rates, those that are savers.
There's a lot of CDs that have been, continue to be available for they're paying over 5% interest. And compare that to a couple of years ago when consumers could barely find a half a percent interest on their savings.
But that said, savings are very important. It's important that consumers have that, that cushion. But at the same time, if you're saving while you're carrying very high credit card debt, that's a tough strategy. You know, earning 5% while you're paying 22% of your credit cards, it's going to be hard to get ahead. So I really would prioritize making sure that consumers are putting money toward paying down their most expensive debt, if they can, while they're continuing to maintain that access to credit so that if they have unexpected medical bills or need a car repair that they're able to do that.
[00:59:10] Speaker A: Very good. Well, Charlie, just about time to wrap things up here. But anything else that you wanted to mention that we haven't touched on or maybe where our listeners, our viewers could go for more information?
[00:59:21] Speaker F: So TransUnion has a wealth of information that's available for consumers about credit data, managing credit, what their credit scores mean, how to think about lowering their overall debt or strategies for for better household finances. TransUnion.com is a terrific resource for that. These resources are free and we just want to make sure that consumers know as much as they can about how to keep their household finances healthy and be able to reach their goals.
[00:59:50] Speaker A: Very good. Charlie Wise is senior vice president and head of global research for TransUnion. Charlie, thank you so much. I really do appreciate your time today, sir.
[00:59:58] Speaker F: Thank you, Matt. A lot of fun to be with you.
