A Proven Way to Protect the Money You Just Can’t Afford to Lose

A Proven Way to Protect the Money You Just Can’t Afford to Lose

One basic undeniable fact about the stock market that every normal person knows (or should know) is that

it can move in one of two directions at any particular moment – up or down. Here’s the other thing. Absolutely no one on this planet knows exactly what and/or when the market’s next move is going be. And finally, there is no such thing as a magical diversification mix that will ever eliminate the very real possibility that you could end up losing a big chunk of your life’s savings in the stock market. Again, it is what it is, period!

Sure, you could end up with a boatload of money. But what about the other side of the equation? Could you afford to lose everything you’ve worked for? The best time to protect the portion of your retirement nest egg that you simply cannot afford to lose is before a stock market downturn – not after.

Did you know there’s a time-tested investing strategy that eliminates the cloud of uncertainty associated with the risk of losing any portion of your hard-earned savings, should the stock market ever plummet? By utilizing this proven investing approach, which millions have already turned to, you can ensure three very distinct hallmarks:

• First, your initial contribution, as well as any gains and ongoing contributions, are protected and guaranteed against the market’s risk, even in those years that the stock market plummets
• Second, the growth of your savings will be based on a given stock market index, up to a certain predetermined cap.
• Third, and most significantly, unlike the traditional way of investing directly in the stock market, where any time the market dips, you stand to lose some or all of your previously accumulated gains (or even worse, some of your initial investment), with this strategy, all of your prior gains are locked in. So when the stock market/index dips, you’ll have nothing to worry about because your account won’t lose any value. But when the market goes up, you make gains, up to your cap.

Could this investing approach be what you need to help you grow and protect the portion of your nest egg that you just can’t afford to lose?  

Our “Keep Your Gains,” special report will help you make that decision. It explains how this strategy works, points out some important caveats, and answers some general questions that will help you gain more insight so that you can ultimately make the best decision.

You may download a complimentary copy at KeepYourGainsReport.com or call us at 877.656.9111 to request your copy.

Resolving Discrepancies on Your Social Security Earnings Records

Resolving Discrepancies on Your Social Security Earnings Records

As I indicated in my last column, one of the things you should get in the habit of doing religiously – if you are not already doing it – is reviewing the accuracy of your Social Security statements annually. I’m hoping that our last discussion made a convincing case and, most importantly, you now see the crucial importance of and have committed to checking your earnings records as an annual ritual. All I’m trying to do here is to convince you to take on a good habit, so go ahead and make my job easy, would you?

Verifying your data

Once you’ve received your green and white Social Security statement, you’ll need to do three very simple things.

First, make sure that your name is spelled correctly.

Second, verify that the last four digits of your Social Security number, as shown on your statement, are accurate.

The third and final thing is to verify that your earnings, as reported on the statement for the previous tax year, agree with what you have in Box 3 of your Form W-2 (Social Security Wages).

This should be a pretty simple exercise that you could knockout in just a minute or two, but it will help ensure that you are getting all the necessary credits from your years of hard work. One thing to keep in mind here is that the earnings figure you are verifying against your W-2 is strictly from box #3 (Social Security wages), not box #1 ( wages, tips, other compensation), as the two are not always the same, even though for many folks they may end up being the same.

Correcting any errors you detect

If that quick verification exercise reveals a discrepancy, you should contact the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213 or visit your local office in person to get your records straightened out. Obviously, you should have your W-2, last pay stub for the particular year in question, and/or tax return to substantiate your claim.

Personally, I’d suggest going into your local office with all of your documents to get assistance. It usually takes several months to update your records to reflect the correct earnings, so you’ll want to make sure that once the office confirms that the changes have been made, you request a new statement so you can see with your own eyes that the corrections have been done. 

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Speak with an experienced financial professional TODAY who has dozens of real-world clients already experiencing successful retirements! Please call 877.656.9111 or visit LaserFG.com.