During a routine Medicare consultations, we also mention to members that we also handle retirement planning and life insurance.

Our member mentioned that their husband would be retiring in the next few months and would like a second opinion about what to do with the annuity benefit he earned from his local machine operators union.

He liked the idea of having a fixed monthly income benefits that is "Joint Survivor", meaning he and/or his wife would collect the same monthly payout no matter who lives longest.

Our analysis identified three superior annuity options, all of which offered him higher payouts than the limited options he was initially presented by the union custodian.

He chose an offering that provided the highest lifetime income, increasing his cashflow by 12% for life, which really adds up over 20 or 30 years.

This single phone call not only enhanced his financial standing but also exemplified the importance of seeking a second opinion to maximize your retirement benefits.