Publications
WELCOME
to our virtual library of helpful consumer guides.
Download these reports to learn more about a range of financial topics that could impact you and your family’s future.
More publications will become available on this site as we continue to digitize our library. If you are not seeing something you need assistance with, please call us at 888-800-1881 and we will be happy to help you.
Divorce & Money
- How to split assets and who to turn to for help
- What documents you’ll need for divorce proceedings
- Where you’ll need to consider updating beneficiaries
What to do in a Down Market
Could you weather a down market? Here’s why staying the course matters.
Market downturns are inevitable — which is why you should plan for them from the beginning. This brochure helps lay out what you need to know, including:
- How well the S&P 500® has performed through bear markets and downturns since 1928
- 4 general guidelines for down market moves
- The 1 thing that gave 73% of survey respondents greater financial confidence
Wondering How to Create Income in Retirement?
Do you believe these 5 annuity myths?
In this guide, we address common misconceptions about annuities to help you decide if an annuity might be right for you, including:
- Annuities make accessing money impossible.
- Annuities are too complicated to understand.
- Savings are enough — why an annuity?
Creating Your Retirement Recipe: How Interest Rates Play A Role
Will you ride a gravy train into retirement?
Rising interest rates can sour your post-workforce plans. Download this free eight-page guide to discover why:
- Traditional asset allocation strategies may no longer suffice
- Bonds aren’t the risk-free investment one might’ve thought
- Annuities can provide a stable, reliable income stream for life
KFS Consumer Guide Designing your Fiscal House
Does your financial abode need remodeling?
It’s not always wise to DIY. This free eight-page guide provides a blueprint for a diversified fiscal home that can remain intact amid even the most oppressive external elements.
Learn how:
- Risk levels vary among an ideal portfolio’s foundation, walls and roof
- Custom-built risk management strategies can function as insulation
- Indexed-linked vehicles can help create a low-maintenance shelter
Long-Term Care
Concerned about long-term care?
Seven in 10 Americans age 65 and older will need some type of long-term care. This guide can help you understand possible costs and solutions, including:
- Strategies to help protect your potential caregiver from financial burden
- How much long-term care costs are expected to rise
- The true impact of long-term care
Cyber Security
In 2020, more than 150 million individuals were affected by data exposure — the accidental revelation of sensitive information, including Social Security numbers, dates of birth, credit card details and more, resulting from less than adequate cybersecurity1. Retail outlets, social media and financial institutions are all vulnerable to cyberattacks, and so is your wealth. With this guide, you will learn:
- Why seniors lose more money to cyberattacks (despite being less susceptible to scams)
- The major red flags to be aware of in a scam
- Six areas individuals should be aware of to help prevent scams and cyberattacks
1 Statista. March 3, 2021. “Annual number of data breaches and exposed records in the United States from 2005 to 2020.” Accessed August 10, 2021.
Inflation and Your Retirement
Have you considered inflation’s impact on your retirement?
Prices are increasing on everything from groceries to healthcare. Download this guide to learn more about the most common questions on inflation including:
- What causes inflation?
- Is my retirement at risk?
- Why is the rate of inflation rising?
Annuities an Asset Class
Times change — are stocks and bonds still enough? With inflation rising and lower rates, more people are turning to fixed index annuities to de-risk their assets. In this free, 12-page download you’ll learn more about:
- Why annuities may or may not be a good fit for you
- How fixed index annuities actually work
- How fixed index annuities balance risk
Creating a Better Future for America and Americans
America is at a critical crossroads, and there are real and growing threats to America’s future, both internationally and domestically. These challenges, and the government’s eventual response, will likely have significant implications for the country and every American, and even the free world. So, where do we go from here?
This 12-page consumer guide, written by a former U.S. comptroller general, tackles that question with insights on:
- Several key international and domestic challenges facing the U.S.
- How to address the possibility of rising tax rates and health care costs
- The three major types of financial risk we face as we age
Riding the Markets High
Worried about future market volatility?
This 12-page guide can help you take steps to help protect yourself from future market volatility.
Download to learn about:
- A prudent approach: rebalancing, refocusing and reaffirming
- Past volatility and how the markets have recovered
- Why time in the market is more important than timing the market
Will the Biden Presidency Influence Stock Markets?
Worried about Biden’s impact on the stock market?
As the months go by, we learn more about the president’s policies and priorities — but how will they impact your investments? Download this guide to learn more about:
- How presidents actually impact the stock market
- How to prepare for the unknown when it comes to investments
- Economic recovery over the next four years
Are you paying too much in taxes in retirement?
This 8-page guide was created for you to better understand how taxes could affect your retirement income, including:
- The different types of retirement accounts
- Why tax laws are ever-changing
- Options for tax deductions in retirement
Five Retirement Planning Mis-steps to Dodge
Planning for your retirement can be overwhelming, maybe even a bit scary. That’s why we’re here to help! Download this 4-page guide for answers to the most common questions, like:
- When should I start preparing for retirement?
- How do I account for inflation?
- Will I really need long-term care?
Are you prepared for health care costs in retirement?
Don’t let medical expenses surprise you. Download this 8-page guide to learn:
- About how much you should budget for health care (based on recent research)
- What Medicare does (and doesn’t) cover
- Options for long-term care coverage, and how you can prepare now
Do you know where your tax liabilities fall?
Not all financial products are equal when it comes time to pay your taxes! This 4-page, downloadable guide will walk you through the 4 buckets you should know! Download now to learn:
- Where your current assets fall in the 4 tax buckets
- Why you may have significant tax liabilities down the road
- The importance of a diversified strategy
How can past volatility inform our present?
Watching market volatility can be exciting or nerve-wracking, depending on how much of your assets are tied to the markets’ performance. How do you know how to react? This 12-page guide explains all of that and more:
- Volatility is not new! History shows us how to respond to today’s volatility.
- Markets have weathered numerous crises in the past — and come back stronger.
- Timing the market does not work. Time in the market does.
Give Your Loved Ones the Greatest Gift!
Communicating your values and goals today can help your loved ones through tomorrow. This 12-page guide can help you understand the basics of estate planning, including:
- Areas your will should address (and who should write it)
- The two types of trusts — and how they can help reduce the chance of a family conflict
- A checklist to help you select the right person to carry out your wishes
Would You Like to Avoid Surprises at Tax Time?
Tax laws change every year — and this year is no different! This downloadable guide will walk you through the latest tax law changes to help you avoid any surprises. In this 12-page guide, you will find out:
- What the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act could mean for you
- How inflation could affect your tax bill
- Why proactive planning can help give you financial confidence
- How your financial professional can coordinate with a tax professional to help you create a tax-efficient strategy
Will a Recession Rob Your Retirement?
4 things to address to help ensure you can weather a drop in the market
This downloadable guide walks you through four things to check now to help ensure you and your family are prepared — even if the economy takes a dip. What you’ll learn:
- How to decide how much of your savings should be invested in the market
- A simple calculation to help determine whether you’ve saved enough to retire
- Alternative methods to create income without relying on a volatile stock market
Guide to Enjoying Your Retirement
You get an extra 2,000 hours a year in retirement. How will you spend it?
Download this guide to learn 6 secrets of how you can spend your time to help cultivate happiness and a retirement well-lived.
- How lacking this one simple thing could make you twice as likely to die
- The importance of keeping your brain alert
- Why some people go back to work
Will the Presidential Election Results Impact Your Retirement?
Find out how you can preserve your hard-earned savings from being exposed to the political winds coming out of Washington D.C.
What you’ll learn:
- Economic fluctuations that can stem from a presidential election
- How long the effects of an election can be felt
- Things you can do to avoid a potential dip in your nest egg
The Value of an Objective Opinion
We aim to serve you with dedication, transparency and personal care, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg for the value of a true objective opinion.
This 8-page instant download explains it all, including:
- Why we focus on timing your retirement during planning
- How long we project your retirement income will last
- The benefits of working with an independent advisor
Have You Been Laid off or Are Worried You Could Be in the Future?
While a layoff can be scary, it doesn’t have to mean the end of your financial well-being. In this 10-Step Layoff Survival Guide, you’ll discover simple and effective tactics to help protect your retirement future — both now and in the years ahead.
- Put aside temporary fears to focus on long-term stability
- Calculate how to best use your severance pay
- Navigate the maximum amount of unemployment benefits
The Retirement Playbook: Lessons on Retiring Strong
With this instant download, you’ll discover:
- How budgeting plays a part in planning
- Why having tax-efficient strategies are key
- When retirees knew they were ready to retire
Should You Accept a Buyout Offer?
Not all buyouts look alike. What are the variables that could make or break your retirement? This 8-page guide offers six questions you should ask yourself before deciding to accept or reject your company’s offer. You’ll discover:
- How to determine if you’re really ready to retire
- Strategies to ensure you have health care coverage if you’re not yet eligible for Medicare
- The potential tax consequences of a buyout
Retirement Income Checklist
Learn the 10 things you should consider when developing your retirement income strategy. With this instant download, you’ll discover:
- Statistics on the average life expectancy for retirees
- Information on how taxes could affect your retirement income, including your Social Security benefits
- Distribution strategies for making your savings last throughout retirement
Work Smarter, Not Harder
Discover the keys to growing your wealth (they may not be what you think they are)! With this instant download, you’ll discover:
- How to choose the right savings vehicles for you
- What separates traditional vs. Roth IRAs
- Why smart investors diversify — and how you can do the same
Women Invest
Women often face more obstacles when planning for their financial futures. Find out how to get ahead of those potential roadblocks in this 4-page booklet, plus:
- Why you should keep money in your name
- How to confront your financial fears
- Who to turn to for trusted, independent guidance
Roadmap to Retirement
With this instant download, you’ll discover:
- How much retirement income you want vs. need
- Why you should take a new look at annuities
- What financial roadblocks may affect your goals
Understanding Market Corrections
This 8-page, easy-to-digest guide explains what a “market correction” is — and what it might mean for your investments. You’ll learn:
- The difference between a “market correction” and a “bear market” (and why it matters!)
- How a financial professional can help you assess your long-term strategy
- Five things to do during a market correction
The Secure Act: The Three Things You Actually Need to Know
With this instant download, you’ll discover how to:
- Reconsider plans to pass on your IRA to your children or grandchildren
- Be aware of changes in age provisions for required minimum distributions
- Age limitations no longer exist for contributing to a traditional IRA
5 Simple Steps to Choosing the Medicare Supplement Plan for You
With this instant download, you’ll discover:
- The basics of Medicare insurance
- What a Medicare Supplement plan can do
- How to choose the plan that’s right for you
Social Security Decisions Report
This handy guide covers how Social Security benefits may fit into your retirement plan, including:
- Why poor planning could cost you
- Who you should consult with first
- How Medicare can factor in your Social Security decisions