​Retirement time…Woo Hoo!  Sipping mint juleps on the front porch after a nice round of golf while stare longingly into your spouse’s eyes.  Both of you silently reflecting on a life well planned and enjoyed.

Okay, it’s wake up time!  Idyllic visions like that are unfortunately usually relegated to a movie theatre, Norman Rockwell fantasies or a youth spent enjoying too much of what the 1960’s had to offer.  The reality for most folks is, retirement reality can often be a hard slap in the face.  Insufficient savings, inefficient income plans, volatile markets, insurance, housing and medical expenses are but a few of the sharp and unforgiving realities many retirees face.

So what to do?  Well, the simple answers are, if you are not yet retired:

• Educate yourself on the issues
• Plan for the problems
• Plan to eliminate the problems
• Act on your plans!

If you are already retired;

• Be honest about identifying your issues
• Educate yourself on potential solutions
• Learn about alternatives
• Act on making essential survival changes!

No problem, right?! We are going to talk an awful lot about the problems many retirees face but more important, the potential solutions you may be able to find.  The time to make changes is now.  Curling up into a ball has rarely worked for anyone, including most of the animal kingdom.  See a problem.  Talk about a problem.  Get a solution to a problem.  One problem at a time.  Taking things one bite at a time can sometimes make the difference in being able to tackle larger issues or being tackled by them.

So, just click the headline below to listen in.                                                                       

Wicked Insurance Matters with Greg Durette: Beware of the Hidden Slings and Arrows of Retirement!

Thanks!
 
Greg
 
P.S.  You can also get archived shows on www.blogtalkradio.com and any of our social media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook).

I am please to announce my interview with columnist Lori Boyle of Women's Voices Magazine has just been published in their August 2016 issue!

Just click this link and you can read and hear the interview.

Hope you enjoy and as always, would love to hear your feedback.

We are very excited to again resume our weekly radio show from the warm and sunny shores of the Florida Panhandle!  I know we have been a bit remiss in show frequency and appreciate the patience and support you have all shared.  If you ever feel the need to hear the sweet sound of my golden throated supple tones (ha!), just check out all the past episodes on our blog page at http://www.futuresecuredfinancial.com/blog-and-current-events.html.  You can also get them on www.blogtalkradio.com and any of our social media (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook).
So, let’s talk about this week’s show called Why Big Box Stores Fail at Selling Insurance…and Why Agents Win Big for YOU!  Millions of people flock to those big box stores either at the actual brick and mortar location or online in the hope that they will get a quality product for a rock bottom price.  Most of us have.  These retailers noticed this and have been desperately trying to take that success and start selling you all manner of things…most notably, Life Insurance.
The problem is, they take that same retail oriented mindset and apply it to something that is a very intimate purchase.  Their typical formula is they contact one single insurance company, negotiate a handsome profit for themselves, arrange for a call center with unlicensed order takers on the other end and then hope you call AND, qualify for their very limited program.
That simply doesn’t work.  Besides giving you virtually no choices of companies, they provide virtually no real agent supported services like sales and service to help you find the very best for you…not them.  Agents do this better than any non-agent call center ever could.
Want proof…tune in and I will break it down as to why you cannot get a better value on price, sales support and service after the sale than a real broker/agent.  It very well may change the entire way you think about your local broker.
Just click the headline below to listen live tomorrow at 9:30am EDT.  You can also call the show with any questions at: (713) 955-0510.
Wicked Insurance Matters with Greg Durette: Why Big Box Stores Fail at Selling Insurance…and Why Agents Win Big for YOU!

After a bit of a hiatus, my show is back…with a vengeance!  No, not some sort of Mad Max/Rambo type of vengeance with tricked out warrior vehicles or exploding arrows (however cool that might be) but rather, with my chance to vent out loud about the many conundrums I hear out there in the world that make me crazy (or crazier, as my wife would say!).

• Do you need insurance or not…the answer may surprise you!
• What are the confusing results of apathy…it is everywhere you least expect?
• What are the REAL costs of retirement and that dreaded life insurance?
• Burying money in the backyard seems like a real alternative!?
• Why are insurance companies branded either too good to be true or robber barons?

The conflicts and opinions on things like this and more will be key to my rantings.  Why?  They are real.  And, after 33 years in the business (almost like politics) they seem to be getting more pronounced.
So, think of my all too frequent rants as something like the seasons.  While everything always seems fresh and new, they never cease to elicit strong emotions and feelings.  That’s it…I am like the money and insurance version of the seasons.  Yeah, I like it…

Feel free to tune in and even call in if you so desire this Wednesday, 5/11/16 at 9:30am (or anytime thereafter via podcast) by clicking here to hear this latest installment of Wicked Insurance Matters Radio Show with Greg Durette titled, Greg’s Springtime Money & Insurance Rants
​

I guess I am an idiot.  Just plain, stupid.

All these years in the insurance business (33 this month!) and I always thought people didn’t buy life insurance because I did not adequately convey the need in a scenario that made sense.  You have a family, a mortgage, college for your kids, blah, blah, blah.

Well, according to a recent survey, I am a stupid idiot.  It turns out, the NUMBER ONE REASON people are not buying enough or any life insurance is…wait for it…they think it costs way more than it actually does!  Wow!  Really!  I thought I was a very intuitive person but, it turns out I was just a stupid idiot.

So, I am hoping to turn the page and mark a new chapter in my delivery message.  One; You need life insurance.  Two; it is really far less than you think.  Three; you need to buy some to make it work.
This is what you will hear about this Wednesday, 3/2/16 at 9:30am (or anytime thereafter via podcast) by clicking here to hear this latest installment of Wicked Insurance Matters Radio Show with Greg Durette titled, Life Insurance is Wicked Cheap!. 

We will discuss all the facts about life insurance including:

• Types
• Uses
• Taxation
• The true costs
  

The very first thing I did when I got into the business 33 years ago was sell a life insurance policy.  It was good and the person was surprised how inexpensive it was then.  Guess I should have learned something since that time.

The great American dream is homeownership, right?  Or is it?  With more Americans than ever renting instead of buying, markets bouncing up and down depending on what part of the country you live and foreclosures at historic highs, it’s a wonder anyone gets involved with homeownership at all.
But, many folks do.  And when they do, they come at it one of two ways…buying or selling.  Both categories come with a whole host of do’s and don’ts that can mean thousands of dollars to the people involved.  The challenge is, most folks are not experts and don’t know what to look for to make sure the deal they get is the best possible.  Think about it:
Buyers:

• Want the perfect house for below market value
• Want the perfect neighborhood
• Want the best interest rate available
• Want honesty from the sellers AND their real estate agent

Sellers:

• Want to sell to the most well-funded, pre-qualified buyer
• Want a short sale cycle and quick close
• Knowledgeable real estate agent that knows how to market
• Want the lowest sales commission possible

Whether you are buying or selling, real estate is one of your most significant financial transactions you will encounter in your lifetime.  One mistake could severely impact all your future retirement and savings plans.
This is why you need to tune in this Wednesday, 2/24/16 at 9:30am (or anytime thereafter via podcast) by clicking here to hear this latest installment of Wicked Insurance Matters Radio Show with Greg Durette titled, Avoiding Costly Real Estate Mistakes. 
To help us work through this subject is expert real estate broker, Kim Hanlon of ALANTE Real Estate located in Plymouth, MA.  Kim took a very unique and, as it turns out, beneficial path to her current status of expert realtor.   Prior to ALANTE, Kim led a successful, professional sales career for 18 years working in fortune 100 companies within Consumer Package Goods, Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices. Her success as top sales performer in her multiple roles have been attributed to her superior ability to meet her client’s needs.  She prides herself on paying attention to all the intricate details requested of her clients and most importantly offers exceptional follow up.  Being that ALANTE Real Estate embodies these traits, it was a natural fit aligning her core fundamentals with those of the company.  Her clients are now the beneficiaries of this unique set of talents.
Kim’s contact info can be found at Kim.ALANTEHomes.com or by clicking here. 
Please take 30 minutes and listen to learn what she knows.  It could save you thousands!

If you are lucky, you will need some sort of Long Term Care in your lifetime.  Why lucky?  It means you likely will be living a long, long life.  However, medical issues tend to accompany aging.
The impact of Long Term Care is one of the most financially impactful and potentially devastating things you will endure.  Fortunes can be wiped out in no time at all, wiping out the best laid plans for a relaxing retirement along with it.
In comes Long Term Care insurance into your thoughts.  You soon discover the choices are endless as are the slings and arrows! 

• How should you properly integrate into your existing retirement plans
• The difference between Medicare/Medicaid and Long Term Care Insurance
• What is better…government provided care or privately funded care
• What are the actual choices for coverage, what do they cost and how do they work
• What kind of companies should you avoid and why

These are all heavy issues you need to know the answers for in order to make the right choices for you.  No worries…you will have them if you tune in this Wednesday, 2/17/16 at 9:30am (or anytime thereafter via podcast) by clicking here to hear this latest installment of Wicked Insurance Matters Radio Show with Greg Durette titled, Understand Long Term Care Insurance Risks.
These are very important issues you need to understand.  We will even discuss when and why you SHOULD NOT even consider buying any Long Term Care insurance.  Tune in and get informed.  It could save you years of headaches and hundreds of thousands of dollars.

You work hard.  You save wisely.  You transition into more conservative savings vehicles as you get older and then pull the trigger.  You are retired!  Woo hoo!
Now you spend the money you saved without ever taking in another paycheck.  How long do you think your money will last?  It had better outlast you or cat food could become your main dietary staple!
The fact of the matter is, people are living longer now than ever before, putting ever more pressure on those precious retirement resources.  However, there is a way you can GUARANTEE you will never outlive your money…no matter how long you live.
Tune in this Wednesday, 2/10/16 at 9:30am (or anytime thereafter via podcast) by clicking here to hear this latest installment of Wicked Insurance Matters Radio Show with Greg Durette titled, How to Never Outlive Your Money. 
We will discuss such topics as:

• The dangers your money will face in retirement
• The difference between accumulation v. distribution strategies
• How to GUARANTEE you will not outlive your income…regardless of how long you live
• How to inflation-proof your income in rising markets
• Avoiding the perils of market downturns in retirement

We will dive deep into the weeds on these and many other related subject items to help as many people as possible rescue their otherwise imperiled retirement plans.
Listen, take notes and relax.  Retirement should be stress free.  We are going to show you how. 

Social Security impacts everyone.  Whether you are already collecting, getting ready to collect or know someone who is, the impacts can be life altering.  Thanks to a new law which took effect in November of last year, the benefit strategies people had at their disposal just became even more complicated.

So, I hope we can cut through the clutter and breakdown what those 4 major changes will mean for you and your planning for the future.  I will also try to get in as many of the top 10 secrets you now need to know to get the most out of the system you have paid into for all these years.

Tune in this Wednesday, 2/3/16 at 9:30am (or anytime thereafter via podcast) by clicking here to hear this latest installment of Wicked Insurance Matters Radio Show with Greg Durette titled, What the Top 10 Secrets and Top 4 Changes to Social Security’s New Law Has in Store for You.

We will discuss:

• The top 4 MAJOR changes and how they will impact you
• The top 10 SECRETS to maximizing benefits
• Critical cutoff dates
• Critical Age cutoffs

Time is of the essence if you want to position yourself properly to make the most out of this new set of rules.

Many thanks to last week’s guest, Russell Illes, author of Duct Tape Won’t Fix This.   Feel free to listen to the show we did, The True Toll of Illness here and  visit his website: www.DuctTapeWontFixThis.com.

Everyone knows about the serious financial hardship that typically follows a major diagnosis such as cancer or a heart attack.  What many people don’t see are the serious, long-term, devastating effects such a diagnosis has on not just the person with the medical condition but also, the family around them.
Families struggle to stay financially above water while at the same time, struggle to keep the family unit intact…oftentimes with little success.  Such are the parts of the collateral damage that can last far beyond the actual medical condition itself.
Tune in this Wednesday, 1/27/16 at 9:30am (or anytime thereafter via podcast) by clicking here to hear this latest installment of Wicked Insurance Matters Radio Show with Greg Durette titled, The Toll of Illness. 
We will discuss such topics as:

• The emotional impact and guilt caused by the financial hardship
• The cost of plans derailed by the diagnosis
• The importance of getting emotional support
• The critical need to rely on excellent advisors

I am honored to have one of the foremost authorities on this subject joining as my guest to discuss these important issues.  His name is Russell Illes.  Russ is the Author of Duct Tape Won’t Fix This and an 8-year cancer hospice volunteer. He is co-founder and leader of a men’s support group that has been together for 26 years. His goal is to create a safe and supportive place for fathers of children with life-threatening illnesses begin a conversation. His book is available on Amazon.
Please visit his website: www.DuctTapeWontFixThis.com  and his Facebook Page at The Magic Hat Project.
Contact: Russell Illes / 617-827-0225 / Email: [email protected]
Please take 30 minutes and listen to the powerful insights Russ will share with us all.