by Ethan S. Braid, CFA | Dec 23, 2025 | Blog, Retirement Planning
What does twenty years of owning a variable annuity do to your ability to accumulate wealth for retirement? I think a lot of investors do not realize just how much a variable annuity can set them back when planning for their retirement. Variable annuities are commonly...
by Ethan S. Braid, CFA | Dec 17, 2025 | Blog, Investing, Retirement Planning
How do you build your own guaranteed cash flow stream, but without the fees of an annuity? Today I am going to show you how to build your own annuity for two different objectives. Method one will be to provide a guaranteed cash flow. Method two will be to provide a...
by Ethan S. Braid, CFA | Dec 11, 2025 | Blog, Estate Planning, Investing, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning for Retirement
Annuities are bad investments designed to hold you hostage for the duration of your life. Annuities are nothing more than a complicated trap that many investors fall victim to. Here are the four most common ways investors get trapped in annuities. Taxes Death Benefits...
by Ethan S. Braid, CFA | Mar 20, 2025 | Blog, Estate Planning, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning for Retirement
Annuities are among the worst investments an investor can make for their retirement. In this article, we will explore nine reasons why you should never buy an annuity. All Gains are Taxed as Ordinary Income Annuities do not qualify for favorable tax treatment in the...
by Ethan S. Braid, CFA | Feb 16, 2025 | Blog, Estate Planning, Tax Planning for Retirement
There are many reasons you should never buy an annuity; high fees, limited investment options, and surrender charges to name a few. But the number one reason to never buy annuities with after-tax funds is the tax structure. When you purchase standard investments like...
