The 10 Biggest Sources of Retirement Income

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Annuities are inappropriate for older people? Absolutely untrue. It used to be that variable annuities were inappropriate, but as the interest rates begin to climb, next year or the following, a fixed income annuity may be even more inappropriate than a variable which would rise with the inflation rates making a fixed payment in a rising rate of inflation inappropriate, but not a variable. Payments would rise with inflation with a variable, rather than a fixed rate which would lose ground as costs rise.

Just Someone of KY 8:49PM June 18, 2012

Rental income from properties deserve a separate mention. As mentioned in http://www.Homeunionservices.com, investment properties purchased thru Self-directed IRAs can be another source of tax effective income.

Rental Income Investing of CA 12:49PM June 16, 2012

Did you know that the 9 to 5ver is the worst off in taxe? Yeah it's true, each day you go to work your throwing $20 out the window! Anyways, that was a little thing I got from Dr. Ron Muller - Start your own home business: http://newIMcareer.com

Ethan Poltrack of NY 7:26PM April 03, 2012

Since I retired a few years ago, I have dabbled in real estate rental income. I recently bought a used, but good condition mobile home for aprox $15k, placed it on a lot worth $12k, and spent $3k installing it. It will bring in $625 per month. That is a ROE of >20%. Try getting that return with any degree of safety.
This is my third rental, and a fourth is being planned. This will supplement my SS nicely.

David of LA 2:46PM February 26, 2012

I am a 50 year old female, with a substantial income....I am stashing 15 percent of it for retirement, and have done so for many years. I recently have bought 4 rental properties with that money, all of which were foreclosures, and I have quite a bit of equity in each property...3 of the properties have been rented back to the families who once owned the homes.
They are not bitter of me, but have expressed gratitude, which is amazing to me. They took care of the homes before, and each and everyone of them have a family member who has lost a job, or been downsized. Anyway, I get the rent, the depreciation, and its solid...I can touch my investments. I didn't drain myself, I still have cash to invest, but I do not want my monies falling to nothing in the stock market. It frightens me to think of what would have happened if I had invested those monies in stocks...I probably would have paniced although they tell me you actually don't lose until you sell...sorry but that is planning to me.
I'm profiting over 4k a month from these investments, and the tax advantages are great. Anyway.....its going to allow me to save over 3500 a month, over the expenses, the insurances, taxes and such...I'm saving that money toward other investments....I'm a saver, have always been. I'm blessed to have chosen a career that is in demand.
My biggest concern are for those that solely relying on social security for their futures. I do not want to depend on that, I don't trust it, although I have contributed plenty.
I bought all properties for less than 400k..they're making me way over 10 percent on my investment, with the depreciation and such...anyway the way to go for me...I like things I can put my hands on..going to finish the basement in the one property, as it is an above ground basement, really sunny, and am going to rent it for an addition 800 a month..the costs of the renovation has been estimated at 18K...my return on investment will be less than 2 years...anyway the way to go today. Never again, even if you have to finance, are you going to find interest rates lower...so I would probably have done this even if I had to borrow the money...renting to people who know the homes better than I has been a plus :)

retirement my way of MD 9:00PM January 05, 2011

I like how these financial magazines push stocks and poopoo rental income: quote from this article "it is generally not a good idea to make rental income the centerpiece of your retirememt finances"
GIVE ME A BREAK. I have had 5 stocks delist and disappear from my schwab account over the past 3 years. I do not know a single person who has had a good retirement with stocks but know many relatives who are enjoying a very comfortable retirement by having mostly rental income.
Apartments built in Paris in 1553 is still generating rental income after 450 years!!! while your stocks will be worth zero next year.
Digital and paper assets are just worth the paper that they are printed on and nothing more. we and every other generation think that we are special or know more than hundreds of generations before (who invested in real assets namely real estate and gold and silver) but we are not
Do not fall for wall street. The whole thing is one big scam.

Keyvan of CA 7:58PM January 05, 2011

CYA
The few people I know who were disabled and finally started receiving SSDI had to CYA. CALL YOUR ATTORNEY. Although expensive they were able to fight through the system and receive their
Typical crap, try and scam the government for benefits that you haven't earned and for injuries that are not warranted.....
Try and earn real social security benefits by getting a job, going to work for 40 years, contributing to your own retirement, instead of scamming the government for benefits that I and my neighbors have to pay..

Jump off a bridge CYA of MI 7:54PM January 05, 2011

For many years I have worked (all my life) and contributed to SS and 401k and an insurance plan----but it seems that the more you make and the longer you work then the more the government will take and the less you will get---Many Welfare recipients who have not worked at all, or very little, will be 'retiring' with just as much as I will and their health benefits will be probably just as good----which is good. But, I think it should be much better than anyone who is an 'expert' at writing these (articles like the one above) and the U.S. citizen who has PAID those retirement taxes should be able to retire comfortably.
I am TIRED OF HEARING HOW SOCIAL SECURITY IS GOING BROKE, AND I AM TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT HOW WE WHO ARE ABOUT TO RETIRE WILL SUFFER WITHOUT BENEFITS OF SOME SORT---I AM TIRED OF THE WHOLE DISCUSSION OF WHERE, WHEN, AND HOW TO RETIRE WITHOUT GETTING SOAKED FROM WHAT LITTLE INCOME YOU WILL HAVE AT AN OLD AGE. ---ARE WE NOT LIVING IN A COUNTRY THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE NUMBER ONE???? ARE THE POLITICIANS IN WASHINGTON INTERESTED IN THE VOTE FROM "RETIREES"???
THEN AGAIN, IT WON'T MATTER WHO IS IN OFFICE, AS WE WILL STILL BE FACED WITH THE SAME BUREAUCRATS WHO ARE THERE NOW.

Professor Marley of NH 6:23PM September 28, 2010

The entire program of Soc. Sec. Disability is a massive bureaucratic mess, designed to enrich the bureaucrats, and provide them with "second careers" after they finish thier 20 yr. civil service careers, and start collecting their pensions.
My son was rejected when he applied (rejection of your application is automatic). Then he had to hire an attorney whose fee was taken from the arrears payments to which my son was entitled, if his application had been approved in a timely manner.
That provides a nice career opportunity to a "retired" Soc. Sec. employee who knows how the bureaucracy works, and who to talk to.
The same situation exists with the IRS. Spend 20 yrs. working and learning the ins and outs of the complex tax code we have, then collect your pension while starting a new career helping taxpayers cope with those regulations.
The solution ? Simplify . . . Simplify . . . Simplify.

jake barnes of NJ 1:37AM September 02, 2010

The few people I know who were disabled and finally started receiving SSDI had to CYA. CALL YOUR ATTORNEY. Although expensive they were able to fight through the system and receive their disability

CAM of UT 3:32PM August 31, 2010