How to spend all of your retirement funds, die broke, but STILL, provide tax-free funds for your children

                                                       

                            Retirement Planning Made Easy

                                           Author,: Randy Taylor, Lic. # 0643596,

                                            Calif.  Retirement specialist since 1983.                                         

                                           Published in financial periodicals since 1998.

                                           Copyright, Creative Commons Licensing. This article 

                                           may be copied or re-distributed as long as it is copied in

                                           it's entirety and not altered in any way.

The Problem: How Can I defer taxes on my retirement until needed, spend it all and still pass on a financial legacy to my children income tax free?

The solution: Combining the benefits of two safe financial vehicles to do all of the above.

Step #1: Making sure that you will accumulate saving tax-deferred without losing any of your current funds to bad investments, taxes, or stock market fluctuations.

Step # 2: Keeping the savings accounts safe while deferring taxes on future income received.

The closer that you get to retirement the more important it becomes to keep all or most of your 

nest egg safe so that it will be there when you are no longer working and need it the most.

Annuity savings accounts are often the best solution if your goal is future income payments.

Why choose an annuity savings account instead of a bank c.d. or possibly a bond?

 This is easy!  Annuities are designed specifically for retirement purposes and offer 3 major benefits for the retiree:

                   1.) Income tax deferral on all interest until it is received.

                   2.) Guaranteed safety of principal and a minimum interest rate if held 

                   3.) Any unspent funds pass to your heirs at death without the need of a will or trust.

There are approximately 1.200 insurance companies to choose from in most states. (1,274 in California for example) You will want to find a company that has minimal exposure to junk bonds so that they can stay competitive while you are growing your account. 

What type of annuities are best for retirement and which product features should you consider?

                 1.) Variable annuities are best suited for those that want maximum upside growth potential but may not offer safety of principal as a result

                 2.)  Fixed Indexed annuities have minimum interest rate guarantees and no exposure to decreases with the market drops if they are used specifically for retirement purposes.

#3)  How to provide  an income tax free account for your children after you have passed away.

A simple solution would be to buy a life insurance policy equal to the value of your retirement account projection payable to your children. This gives you "permission" to spend everything you own on your retirement since the children will still get theirs income tax free when you are gone.

Very important:

Both of above alternatives offer an option to have a guaranteed level & in some cases and increasing income payment for life that is often higher than bonds. For a 65 yr. old this could be in the 6% range for life, even if the entire account is spent. The variable annuities might pay out approximately 1% less but offer more money if you cash the account in in 1 lump sum. These alternatives involve paying from .75 of 1 % to 1.5 % approximately in exchange for lifetime payments should the product itself perform poorly.

Summary:  This is not meant to be specific legal, tax, or investment advice but is offered up rather for entertainment purposes and a different point of view. An honest and experienced multiple company insurance broker or financial planner can help you with this. Do not make any purchases or transfers of any type before sitting down with your advisors.

I personally am still accepting new clients in the California area for those that would like a second opinion of life insurance, annuity savings accounts, or legal shield/ identity shield programs.

I can be reached at the links below. If you find this article helpful; please share it in it's entirety without alteration via social media.

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Serving clients and brokers since 1983
(916) 601-5270

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The Key to Success is not Goal Setting or Motivation , Ask The Beatles

About the author: 

Randy Taylor has been a state or national speaker regarding the sales process in 3 different industries since the 1970s. He was first published in in 1998 and was quotes in Forbes
regarding small business practices in 2012. He also has appeared as an actor on T.V. and in films.

So you want to be a pro?  Are you willing to pay the price?

There is no such thing as a natural. There are those  born with more talents than others; but not with real world class or even "next level",talent. Please read the brief examples below of what really separates the good from the exceptional!

The secret to success in sales or entertainment is skill development. Skill development is never by chance, but rather by hard work.  

Ask yourself: When is the last time that you practiced your craft?  When you did practice did you do it in a real sales call when money was at stake, or did you practice dozens or hundreds of times with a mentor or accountability partner before testing your skills?  

What did the legends do when they wanted to become legendary?

The Beatles:  The Beatles made a huge splash when they "came out of no where and appeared
on the Ed Sullivan show. Did they arrive with talent from just playing in their garage. Philip Norman, author of Shout, disagrees. He said that before 18 months of nightly performances in Germany, that " They were no good onstage when they went there but they were very good when they came back." They performed 270 times during that period for up to 8 hours per day! Naturals? Hardly. naturals. When they were seen on Ed Sullivan; they had already done 1,200 live performances.

Gary Player: Inducted inducted into the world golf hall of fame, was once approached by a fan.
The fan said to him: I want to practice and be able to play like you.  Player's self absorbed but candid answer was: "You can't play like me unless you are willing to get up at 5:00 a.m. get to the course
before anyone else and hit golf balls until your hands bleed.  Then you have to tape them up and hit another 1,000 balls? Excessive? yes, but the point to be made is that motivation alone, reading, mentoring, will not get you to the top unless you are willing to practice your skills until they improve.

George Young Olympic Steeplechase Competitor:  My high school track coach was a brother to George Young who was the American record holder in the steeplechase and the oldest competitor in the world to  run a sub 4 minute mile. He held down a full time job, had a bleeding ulcer and and managed to still run up to a 100 miles per week in training before the olympics. He placed third in the high altitude of Mexico City. Not a natural, but rather a highly trained athlete that tried to out train his competition.

Summary even if you goal is only to succeed in your local community in a narrow niche market; you have to practice your skills. Start today, call a friend and set up a practice session. " If I become complacent, I will remember my competition"  Og Mandino, "The Greatest Salesman in the World"

Creative Commons Copyright  5/26/2015
This article can be copied or distributed as long as it is not altered in any way and is coped in it's entirety.

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The Fastest Growing Crime in The World, Identity Theft

About The Author

Randy Taylor has been involved in insurance and financial services for 32 years and was first published in 1998.  He has additional specific training in identity theft  and was quoted by Forbes Magazine relating to small business practices. He can be reached at: https://www.facebook.com/RandyTaylorFinancial

Why We are at Risk

Identity theft is reported to be the fastest growing crime in the world. It is a crime where the criminal is more often able to remain anonymous than other crimes while being able to steal money directly from individuals by breaching social media sites, large retail store credit card databases and more.
Bob Sullivan, technology correspondent for MSNBC, estimated that there are as many as 10 Million cases worldwide. As social media sites grow exponentially; these online communities offer an ever growing market for exploitation by cyber criminals.
In this article I will address areas that might be overlooked by the consumer that put them at risk as well as how to be prevent the occurrences of identity theft and finally, what to do after the fact if your information has been compromised.

In some instances you cannot protect yourself. 

 Several large companies that have experts trying to safeguard clients information have been hacked by cyber criminals. This includes sophisticated companies like Go Daddy, Target, Neiman Marcus, and LinkedIn. The key is to do the best you can on your own to protect any of your sensitive account information by taken precautions like those mentioned below.

Scams to Watch Out For

Emails asking for personal information relating to a tax refund or economic stimulus payment.

Income Tax Fraud: The criminal actually files a fake tax return with your social and claims a refund.

Job offers by email: Beware of official looking emails with links to websites suggestion that you only have to complete on online application.

Phishing . This occurs when online scammers send you e-mails disguised as legitimate organizations while asking for personal information. They may ask you to confirm an account number or address.

Fake U.S. Census emals

Medical Identity Theft: Don't give out your social security form unless asked..

Fake jury duty phone calls.


How to Best Protect Yourself

Social Networking: Do Not Make Your Date of Birth Public

One of the first things people should do is to keep their date of birth hidden on all social media sites.
In 2011 for example 67% of all identity theft cases reported were cases where people had made their true dates of birth public. With many social networking sites your password can be stolen by a hacker with just your date of birth and the email address you used to sign up with.

Protect your passwords

Hayley Tsukayma, of the Washington Post August 7, 2014,  suggested that first you write down passwords, keep them separate from the user names, and store the document in a safe place.  The also recommend a strong password with letters, numbers, or more. Finally they also suggest password managers, online services such as I pass, or free alternatives like LastPass or Dashlane.

Other practices to consider when on social media sites

Go to your account settings and select posts to be private or to be seen by friends only.

Do not include your age or hometown in any screen name or home page.

Do your research, and If a new unknown friend asks to join your network;ask your friends if they know him or her.

Use common sense. Do not click on any link on the sites or in personal emails that was not solicited or those with no subject line listed in the case of an email. Assume that you are not the winner of any contest that you did not enter and when in doubt; call the person who sent you the communication.

Maintain an up to date virus protection and malware protection program on your computer. While there are several free virus protection programs available; the cost for a state of the art upgrade is minimal compared to the time and money lost if you are hacked.

Change passwords frequently

Purchase an identity theft program which not only monitors changes in your credit reports etc; but also monitors your M.I.B., Medical Information Bureau account, V.A. accounts

What to do if you suspect that you have been hacked

If it seems like only your password has been stolen, first change your password, then clear your cache or history. You might also want to contact some friends on you email list to see if they have received any emails that you did not send out.

What if it appears to be a serious identity theft situation:

Immediately contact your identity theft provider which can advise you, and your credit card companies. Most I.D. Theft programs do not help you repair any credit issues etc. so you would have that responsibility yourself.  A select few companies will make the phone calls for you and restore your credit retroactively.

If you do not have a identity theft program in place; you should contact the FTC and request their reporting forms and help.

In summary, Take every precaution to protect yourself when supplying personal information on social media, group sites, or by email. Maintain a professional identity theft program, and respect that many cyber thieves are professionals that are out to do harm.

Creative Commons Copyright 4/27/2015
This article can be copied or distrubuted as long as it is not altered in any way and is coped in it's entirety.

How to Increase Event Attendance Dramatically, and for Free

Simple Steps for Increasing Event Attendance

I have helped get a group page add   874 Likes in one day and have managed to keep

very high attendance in a networking group for 52 weeks in a row by inviting directly from an event group page. I also multiply  my reach by adding myself to large groups and sharing the event url addresses to them. How to set up a facebook  events here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8tP7D-kwEk

1.)  Reach 40,000 people, not 5,000.

 Don't rely on a non-specific data base like your Facebook page. Use target marketing lists & groups. I can only reach 5,000 from my page but can reach around 40,000 by posting my event link on group pages that allow it.

2.) Create a Group Page on Facebook: 

With a Facebook group, you can create a new event page from your

target audience; then with a single click of the mouse send out both a Facebook invitation and an email that includes the link back to your event.

3.)  With all event notices use engaging, eye catching photos. 

4.)  Keep your event page descriptions brief by using bullet points instead of text.

5.) Create a second group on LinkedIn.

  Linked In allows you to belong to as many as 50 groups. Create your own, start your own discussions and develop a following.

6.) Ask your friends to share your links to their databases and above all, their groups.

7.) When posting on any site about your event, Keep your text description of one sentence and then copy and paste the event url address. The url address will create the photo and  back link for you.

8.) Finally, think about how you can automate and  simplify the process . Use 1 link or two only, Copy and paste them to all social media sites and groups.

For weekly tips that teach field tested ideas; please go to this free page  ( Content, not Commercials ) at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/salesandmediatraining/

Protected by Creative Commons  Copyright , Author Randy Taylor, 4/21/ 2015

Spam Social Media Ads Don't Work, 4 Easy Solutions

Spam Advertising Posts Don't Work & Can Even Cost You Followers.

Question: When you open up the newspaper or a magazine; do you go to the classified ads section or
stay on the pages that have content?

Question #2: When you are on Facebook and you see an obvious spam ad, do you skip it and to to something more interesting like a video or photo from a friend?

The Real Risk to the Spammer

If you spam too frequently on social media, even group pages, you run the risk of people actually getting offended, skip your ads, deleting them, blocking you, or just unfollowing you. The above reactions are not only common; they can result in the opposite effect that you were looking for.

What is the Solution ?: 

Engaging people while spreading your brand is not rocket science. The secret is not better technology either. Here are 3 easy but effective ways to keep people engaged without hurting your SEO rankings:

1.) Post Tips that are related to your industry. This establishes you as an expert, not as a salesperson.

2.) Use the chat feature on Facebook or messaging on other media to actually schedule appointments with people. Instead of sending more spam or a sales video; ask for a networking appointment via chat.

3.) Keep your status updates short: 82 characters only; like a tweet might be. Keep your videos under 60 seconds sot that they also do not appear like a infomercial.

4.) Finally, use back links to your website, blog, or other content filled sites.

Because I have personally tried to do the above I have been able to contact people that had networks much larger than mine that were willing to hep me. The result: I now have access to 2 media networks that each have 20 million viewer monthly and I have met individuals with up to 500,000 Facebook followers that have posted my business page links for free.

Weekly tips and workshop notices are also available at  https://www.facebook.com/groups/salesandmediatraining/
You can also message me at the above url address or request to join the group page:
Content not commercials  , on Facebook via the above link.
Creative Commons Copyright 3/31/ 2015

Tax Season I.D. Theft and Fraud Warning

The article below is a guest article offered by Legal Shield and not meant to be specific tax of financial advice.
Should you want more information on affordable identity theft detection and credit restoration
in the event of identity theft damage;simple click on the link below to research or purchase a plan:
legalshield.com/info/taylorr

Tax Season: ID Theft and Fraud Warning! Tax scams and tax related ID theft take many forms including mail, phone, e-mail and now even social media and texting. HIGH RISK DEMOGRAPHICS: While everyone is at risk, many of these scams target older people, those that may be newer to the United States, or simply those less experienced with computer security or tax filing procedures. Watch out for your friends and family who may fall into any of those categories and share this with them. EMAIL SCAMS: Phishing Taxpayers and their advisors should be prepared for e-mail scams that use the IRS name. Some demand payments while others promise refunds or request information on you or a payment you’ve made in the past. They want your name, social security number, bank account numbers, and other identifying details they need to accomplish anything from printing fake checks to taking control of your checking account or even filing a false tax return and collecting a refund in your name. The IRS has explicitly stated that they will never request personal or financial information by e-mail, texting, or any social media. Forward scam e-mails to phishing@irs.gov. Do not open any attachments or click on any links in suspect e-mails. Taxpayers should also be aware of unrelated scams (such as lottery sweepstakes winners) and solicitations (such as debt relief) that fraudulently claim to be from the IRS. PHONE SCAMS: Impersonating the IRS One scam currently operating (just one of many) that involves several callers including an initial “agent” and then an angry “supervisor” who call and demand immediate payment to avoid threats ranging from arrest to deportation. They have scammed people in every state and continue to operate from a variety of area codes (many calls use numbers with Washington D.C. and Virginia area codes). I actually asked a number of people who received these calls in the past to send me the phone numbers; they were all from the same three numbers and by simply entering the numbers in Google, I brought up many identical fraud complaints. According to J. Russell George, the treasury inspector general of the Tax Administration, this scam has already taken $14 million from the thousands of taxpayers who have actually reported it; many likely have not. George cautions that the scam continues to grow, “It is critical that all taxpayers continue to be wary of unsolicited telephone calls from individuals claiming to be IRS employees. This scam, which is international in nature, has proven to be the largest scam of its kind that we have ever seen. The callers are aggressive, they are relentless, and they are ruthless,” he said. “Once they have your attention, they will say anything to con you out of your hard-earned cash.” According to the IRS website and various government press releases, the IRS usually first contacts people by mail — not by phone — about unpaid taxes. And the IRS won’t ask for payment using a pre-paid debit card or wire transfer. The IRS also won’t ask for a credit card number over the phone. The callers who commit this fraud often: • Utilize an automated robo-call machine • Use common names and fake IRS badge numbers • May know the last four digits of the victim’s Social Security number • Make caller ID information appear as if the IRS is calling • Send bogus IRS e-mails to support their scam • Call a second or third time claiming to be the police or department of motor vehicles (caller ID supports their claim) Fighting Back: How to Report Scam Attempts The IRS itself provides substantial guidance on these issues and even has a form you can complete on line if you’ve already been defrauded. If you get a call from someone claiming to be with the IRS asking for a payment, here’s what to do: • If you owe Federal taxes, or think you might owe taxes, hang up and call the IRS directly at 800-829-1040. IRS workers can help you with your payment questions. • If you don’t owe taxes, fill out the “IRS Impersonation scam” form on TIGTA’s website, or call TIGTA at 800-366-4484 • You can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at www.FTC.gov. Add “IRS Telephone Scam” to the comments in your complaint. Special Thanks to of-counsel attorney Ike Devji with LegalShield provider law firm Davis Miles McGuire Gardner PLLC for providing the content of this article.

Life insurance, How to avoid the minimum 50% health surcharge

How to avoid life insurance surcharges

About the author: The author ,Randy Taylor has advised consumers and  financial planners, stock brokers, and insurance agents on life insurance planning for 32 years  He has also been a state and national speaker in regards to life insurance.  Ca. License #0643596

What is an insurance "rating", and what does it mean in dollars and cents to be "rated up"

There are several rate classes with preferred plus and preferred being available to those that are not taking 

routine medications, no history of adverse driving records, and have no family history of immediate family deaths before age 60. 

The next class up is known as standard and is available to those in average good health

that might have a minor health condition that is well controlled by medication.

Surcharges known as "table ratings", work as follows: The minimum rating is usually a 50% surcharge

added to the standard rate to cover the insurance company for the increased risk. After the first table rating; there  are incremental charges of an additional 25% for each table or rung on a ladder until a decline which is around 7 increases.

The bottom line: How can an applicant avoid the minimum 50% surcharge?

The first thing to commit to memory is that all insurance companies are not created equal in terms of 

how strict they are when  looking at your health. A single company agent is less likely to be able to help you versus working with an objective broker that can match your health history up with the  company and product that is best for you.  The second thing to consider is that you should get a second opinion if you have a health condition and are rated up.

Give me the bottom line. When might I get an average good health rate if working with an

objective broker?

These common conditions can often be overlooked if there are no other health or lifestyle concerns.

High cholesterol history: If controlled with medication for over 1 year and now in the normal range, no rating.

High blood pressure: If controlled with medication for over 1 year and now in the normal range, no rating.

Occasional Cigar or chewing tobacco use:   Out of 1274 companies approx. in California, only a handful will allow cigar use without  charging tobacco user rates. A broker can often get a standard non smoker rate.

Height vs. weight issues:  Some aggressive companies will allow up to 6' 0 and 250 lbs. normal rates

while others will charge the full 50% rating.

Private pilots:  The rating for private recreational pilots can be as high as $2.50 per thousand , If the client is in perfect health he is also often not given the good health rate; but instead a standard rate, 30%+  higher  plus the $2.50 per thousand of insurance surcharge.

However: a male over 50 with 100 hours of solo experience may qualify with No surcharge at all if you have a knowledgeable broker!

Diabetes: Once again, average good health rates, with No rating is available if controlled  with medication so that the A1C ratio is within guidelines. If the onset of the condition is after age 40; some companies, will allow the lower rate of average good health, saving 50% or more.

Note that each company has their own separate underwriting guidelines but some companies have certain niches, like cigar users for example; whereby they are less strict that other carriers.

As with all financial decisions, you should consult with your insurance broker,financial advisor, attorney, and/or tax advisor before making decisions.

Copyright: Creative Commons 2/28/2015

Author: Randy Taylor, Lic. #0643596

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Life insurance and I.R.A. Account Specialist
Serving clients and brokers since 1983

How to get referrals on the spot with only two questions

2 Easy But Specific Questions Can Lead To More Referrals in any industry!

About the Author:

Randy Taylor has been both a state and national speaker in 3 different industries:
Office products, Hospital Research, and Financial Services.  He was interviewed 6 times on television or radio and sales and acting. He is a veteran of over well over the 10,000 presentations and has exceeded the standard recommended for expert status.

Questions are the Answer for all aspects of the sales process

Questions are the underlying secret to success in all key areas of the sales process including referral acquisition. That includes the following:

  Building Rapport
  Fact Finding
  Presenting
  Objection Handling
  Closing
  Referral gathering

The bottom line:  Referral Collection
Don't wait for referrals: Ask for them. 

The general method: Be specific and ask for the exact client referral that meets you ideal client profile.  

Question #1: " I am expanding my business and I need your help: Who do you know who: ( Fill in the blanks with age, geographical location etc, income."  Do not change a single word. *

Question #2: First go to LinkedIn or Facebook and find out who recommended them on that media.

Feed those names as follows:  " I plan on contacting , fill in  the name,  Do you mind if I mention that you and I are friends. Don't ask for permission to call them; only permission to use your current contacts name. 

Those 2 easy questions can actually be the difference to success or failure.

To be included in tips on a Facebook group page and to also be notified on online or offline sales

and networking seminars; asked to be added to the Facebook group at the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/salesandmediatraining/

Other free tips are offered with no opt in at:

https://www.facebook.com/RandyTaylorFinancial

https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=72389552&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile

http
s://www.facebook.com/AskRandyTaylor 

Subject to Creative Common Copyright, 2/10/2015:This article can be copied or shared as long as it is used in it's entirety and not altered in any way.

To schedule Randy Taylor as a speaker; simply instant message me with a call back phone number at: https://www.facebook.com/AskRandyTaylor

* Quote attribution, question 1, to Mark Sheer.

"Telephone Sales for Dummies" How to be more effective

Selling is Not Telling:

Telephone sales techniques are no different  than person to person sales calls.
If you use time and field tested principles instead of a script; you will 10 times more effective.

About the Author:  Randy Taylor has been trained in sales by fortune 500 companies, in 3 totally unrelated industries and been both a state and national speaker on sales practices. He was also quoted
by Forbes Magazine regarding sales practices for home based businesses. He is also a sought after speaker on networking practices and was interviewed on television and radio 6 times in 2014.

The Basics:

  Use an outline to keep you on track that includes questions you want to ask; but never a script.

 Immediately identify yourself and the purpose of your call.

 Ask the prospect "Is this a good time to talk?" " I need about 5 minutes"
 The client will usually say: No , but what is this about?  You can then begin by asking questions.

If they say no, mention I understand; what it was
 about was a way to: reduce your advertising cost, or whatever bullet is important.

Ask questions about their current situation to immediately engage them in a conversation and to uncover their needs that you can solve.

Take notes about their goals and needs and address that later when you present a single solution.

Try to keep your entire sales call to 10 minutes which includes fact finding, presenting, and closing.

After presenting, Close by summarizing the concerns they mentioned; and which feature of your service addresses that. Do not add other product solutions. Finally ask for the business and ask a closing question.

Finally explain what you will do and when. Then get a verbal commitment for them to follow up; mail a form back; go to a website etc.

Key Point:  The Person that talks the least, ( The one asking the questions), controls the call.

When calling from a referral lead:  Ask only for the appointment. Do not present product features. Referral procurement and telephone objection handling will be addressed in another article, workshop, and video.

For more information please contact Randy Taylor below.
Copyright by Creative Commons author Randy Taylor 1/5/2015
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