My Personal Finance Blog

As 2010 draws to a close and the dawn of a new year beckons, those in the life settlement industry look forward with renewed optimism. By most accounts, the life settlement industry’s bottom is behind us and the secondary life insurance market is now in the process of recovering. How much and how fast is still to be determined. However, below are the Top 10 Predictions For Life Settlements in 2011.

1) Secondary Market To See Increased Buying. As everyone knows, capital has been slowly reentering the market but it is still off the highs experienced prior to the Great Recession. Much of the activity in 2010 was focused on tertiary trades and investors looking for distressed policies or portfolios. As those opportunities become less available in 2011, capital will be redirected to secondary market activities and policy origination.

2) Private Equity Will Arrive: As the investment banks and other types of investors left the market in 2009 and 2010, everyone has been anxious to identify the next big player. Much attention has been paid to Private Equity and in 2011 it will arrive. Rumors have been swirling that PEG’s have been looking for acquisitions of established market players and have recently started funding some providers.

3) Small investors will make a splash: Many have been waiting for institutional investors to flood the life settlement market with capital, while forgetting that high net worth individuals and family offices in aggregate have the potential to play a serious role. With an eye towards diversification and predictable returns, expect accredited investors and family offices to be active buyers, as never before, in 2011.

4) Higher Life Settlement Broker Utilization In the past, it has been relatively easy for producers to act as de facto life settlement brokers. However, new industry best practices suggest life settlement brokers are preferred as intermediaries for policy owners interested in selling their policy. Not only are brokers more able to source small pockets of capital, but more stringent licensing, regulatory and compliance requirements make it difficult for anyone but brokers to effectively navigate the landscape. 2011 will see producers more likely to refer cases to brokers than try to handle them autonomously as they may have in the past.

5) Continued Push Towards Regulation While approximately 20% of the states remain unregulated, the writing is on the wall that change is imminent. Some of the key unregulated states already have legislation in the works and consumer protection is a hot button issue that resonates with legislators. Expect the trend of consumer friendly life settlement regulation to continue in 2011.

6) Agents and Advisors Will Have To Address Life Settlements Like Never Before In 2011 expect numerous states to adopt the new NCOIL model act requiring carriers to notify consumers of the life settlement option when policies are to be surrendered or allowed to lapse. Agents and financial advisors that previously didn’t consider settlements in their practices will now be forced to address the issue as carriers drive policy holders with questions and inquiries to those on the insurance front lines.

7) Greater Focus On Information Security For too long, sensitive insured and policy owner information has been transmitted between agents, brokers and providers using insecure methods such as email. In 2011, as industry best practices demand secure data transfer, expect much higher utilization of specialized life settlement software such as Settlewerx and others.

Smaller Providers While the big players aren’t going anywhere, expect the trend of boutique providers serving smaller pockets of money and niche investors to continue into 2011.

9) Asian Investment US and European investors are the stalwarts of US life settlement investments. In 2011, expect to see more capital coming from Asia and the Middle East, which are relatively untapped sources of investment capital. Newly established offices and initiatives in that part of the world should begin to produce new funding sources in the coming year.

10) Broader Buying Parameters While cherry picking great policies at a discount was the name of the game in 2010, expect 2011 to bring a broader approach to buying. With increasing competition for policies, buyers will have to consider cases that might not have otherwise received bids in 2010.

With the broader economy improving and capital returning to the markets, 2011 promises to be an improved life settlement environment. For those that were able to survive the past two tumultuous years, they will hopefully be rewarded with a fruitful 2011.

The best investment strategies for 2011 and beyond will reflect the new realities in the world of investments: better safe than sorry. Diversification is the key to good investment strategies, but as the future unfolds finding the best alternatives in each investment class could get a bit tricky. Here’s a basic guide geared to making life easier for average investors, which includes most of us.

The challenge facing investors today: how to put together the best investment strategies to make your money can grow without too much risk. Stock funds and bond funds are always part of the mix for most folks, and so are good safe investments. Looking down the road, there could be more trouble in the world’s debt markets; and America’s plans to stimulate a luke-warm economy by lowering interest rates to new lows might not have the intended effect. So, let’s look at how to stay out of harm’s way in 2011 and beyond in case another shoe drops, starting with what are and what are not safe investments.

Going into 2011, bonds and bond funds were like magnets for people who wanted higher interest income in relatively safe investments. Compared to other alternatives investors got higher interest income, but many people don’t understand the safety issue. Truly safe investments are fixed in nature, pay interest, and do not fluctuate in value. Bonds have a fixed interest rate but fluctuate in value as they trade in the open market. Bond funds have worked well for average investors over the years as interest rates have fallen to historical lows. Don’t push your luck here.

The flip side: when interest rates and/or inflation heat up bond funds holding long term bonds in their portfolios will be anything but safe. They will lose significant value. Your best investment strategy here is to go with intermediate and short-term bond funds. You will make less in interest income, but these funds are definitely safer than long term funds. Money market funds are safe and will pay higher interest income as rates rise. There’s only one problem with them for 2011. Unless or until interest rates take off, they are paying next to nothing.

The real challenge until rates move up is in finding good safe investments that pay a respectable rate of interest… without locking in a rate for too long. No one could have predicted mortgage rates at less than 5% or 5-yr CDs at less than 2%, but it happened. Your best safe investments might not be found in mutual funds in 2011, but you may be overlooking some options elsewhere. If you are in a retirement plan (like 401k) you may have a fixed or stable account available. If you own a retirement annuity or universal life policy it may have a guaranteed minimum interest rate. In either case the interest rate could be quite attractive relative to other options.

Stocks and bonds are still the cornerstones of a good investment strategy. And for the vast majority of people mutual funds are the best way to invest in both. We’ve discussed how to move toward a safe investment strategy in bond funds. With stock funds we can do this in two different ways: by increasing diversification and by favoring conservative funds with a good history of paying dividends. We’ll start with the latter.

When the economy and/or optimism are growing, growth and small-company stock funds are often the best investment. These funds can grow dramatically in value as stock prices run up, but they rarely pay much in the form of dividends. In times of high uncertainty equity-income funds that invest in high-quality dividend paying stocks can be a step in the safe direction. If the market goes south they should be less volatile on the down side, and the dividends they pay can cushion the blow somewhat.

The best investment strategies for stock (equity) funds in 2011 and beyond will focus on increasing your scope of diversification. Too many Americans own general diversified equity funds that only invest in U.S. stocks, and ignore the rest. One of the best ways to get more diversification is with international and global equity funds. Another way is to add specialty stock funds to your portfolio. Gold funds have been one of the best investments for several years, but history shows that gold can get real cold real quick. Don’t put more than 5% of your investment dollars in gold funds. Consider natural resources, real estate, and basic materials specialty funds as well to add even more diversification.

The best safe investment strategies going forward will focus on reducing risk in the stocks and bonds department, while getting the best rates available on the truly safe investments in your portfolio. With increased diversification you can lower your overall risk and still make your money grow over the longer term. If another financial crisis rears its ugly head… you now have investment strategies geared to the safe side to keep you out of major trouble in 2011 and beyond.

The profession of being a retirement income specialist is a rewarding and steady job. There are many advantages to becoming a retirement income specialist; helping others and finding challenges and enjoyment in your work are some of the main positives. To become a retirement income specialist, one must usually enroll in a courses or programs to meet certain requirements and to learn the ins and outs of the field. One specific topic that a course might cover is Roth IRAs, and in particular: Conversions.

Roth IRAs are flexible investments (usually with more options than other traditional IRAs). There are many laws governing the implementation of these Roth IRAs, so a retirement income specialist must always stay up to date with the current laws. Starting January 1st, 2010, an income limit that previously prevented many Americans from converting their traditional IRAs into Roth IRAs disappeared. If your client’s household income is more than $100,000 (the previous limit), converting to a Roth will be an option for the first time. Married couples filing separate tax returns also will now be able to convert. Listed below are strategies for the advisor’s consideration.

Pay taxes on converted amount

You have to pay income taxes when you convert. For example, a client in the 28% tax bracket will owe $28,000 (plus state income taxes) on a $100,000 conversion. Converting may benefit the client in the long run–if a higher tax rate is expected during retirement. If, like most people, the client is not sure about his future tax rate, consider converting just part of his traditional IRA to a Roth. Doing so gives “tax diversification” because some money would be in a Roth and some still in a traditional IRA.

Consider source used for taxes

Stick with the traditional IRA if the client does not have money available outside of the IRA to pay conversion taxes. Pulling money out of an IRA to cover taxes can defeat the purpose of making the switch in the first place. By reducing retirement savings, clients reduce the ability to generate future tax-free earnings on money invested in the Roth. If under age 59½, amounts pulled out of a traditional IRA to cover taxes may be subject to a 10% IRS penalty.

Two conversion strategies

If the client does not have enough money to pay taxes on all converted assets, or if doing so would push her into a higher tax bracket, consider converting just part of the traditional IRA assets. A special option applies only to 2010 conversions; the taxpayer can elect to evenly divide the tax liability over 2011 and 2012. If tax rates go up in 2011, this split-year strategy may not be a good idea.

Longer time horizons are better

A conversion may not be wise for clients who expect to withdraw money within five years. Generally speaking, the client will only be able to withdraw earnings from the account without taxes and penalties if age 59½ or older and a Roth IRA has been held for at least five years. Withdrawals of the original conversion amount are always tax-free; however a 10% early penalty may still apply. The client must be either at least age 59½ or wait at five years after the conversion to make the withdrawal in order to avoid the 10% penalty.

Heirs can benefit

During lifetime, the Roth IRA client is not subject to RMDs, meaning the entire amount can be left to someone else. A beneficiary who inherits a Roth IRA may be subject to RMDs, but withdraw the original conversion tax-free. Earnings are also tax-free, provided the Roth IRA meets the five-year holding requirement.

If you are interested in investment opportunities but are not sure where to start, a mutual fund might be a good option for you. A mutual fund is a way to invest along with a group of other people. Everyone shares the gains and losses. Group investing allows you to make investments that you might not be able to make on your own. It is professionally managed, which is another benefit for the novice investor. After determining that this form of investing is right for you, the only thing left to do is determine the best mutual funds.

Most people have realized that caution must be used when investing in this sluggish, fickle economy. A little research and common sense will help to steer you in the right direction. The best mutual funds in the upcoming year might be things such as gold and other natural resources. The price of gold has been steadily rising for years and seems to be a safe bet for guaranteed returns. Real estate could even be a good bet in some markets. This will vary of course by location. After prices bottom out, they inevitably rise again. This means excellent profits for you.

They key to securing your financial future through money markets is diversifying. This has been stated so often that it has becoming almost cliché. Nevertheless, it is still a true statement. Diversification in an unpredictable atmosphere means that you will never be caught with all of your eggs in one basket. Diversification assists in limiting the effects of any losses in your portfolio. Look for different stable areas to balance your assets. When properly balanced, adding a few high risk funds might prove to be the best mutual funds in your diversified portfolio.

Mutual funds are an easy way to invest money. The best mutual funds will be the ones which are the most cost effective, and the ones providing the largest profits. People have begun to seek regular funds as a relatively safe alternative to other stock market investments. Funds offer liquidity, making accessing your money easy and might be exactly what you are looking for.

For most people the best investments for 2011 will be in the form of the best bond funds and stock funds from the best fund companies in America. Here’s where we go all the way and explain these best investments and why they are getting even better in 2011. Then, we get specific about the best funds and name two fund companies.

Mutual funds were designed with one primary objective in mind: to be the best investments for average folks who wanted to share the wealth produced by stocks and bonds. In 2011 and beyond the best of these funds will still be your best investments and they will offer both diversification and professional management at low cost to you as an investor. All fund companies offer average investors a small piece of a large diversified stock or bond portfolio – easy to invest in and easy to cash in – usually at a reasonable cost.

The biggest and best fund companies offer well over 100 funds to choose from; and some of their very best funds will cost very little to invest in for 2011 and beyond. Due to heavy competition between fund companies, things have gotten even better for average investors. Well, at least for those who know where to find the best investments, funds and fund companies.

For 40 years I’ve followed the fund companies in search of the best investments. My 4 criteria: quality and variety of funds offered, performance, service to customers, and the cost of investing. I’ve found that dozens of the larger fund companies can make claims and boast about being the best in the first 3 areas. But try as they may, fund companies can’t hide the investor’s cost of investing – which has increased for many funds. The good news for today’s investors is that the two biggest fund companies in America will be competing like crazy for your business in 2011 and beyond with a low cost of investing; especially in what I consider to be their best funds, your best investments.

Before I get specific and name names, imagine being a financial planner (like I was for 20 years) competing as follows. In the best investments in stock funds I could offer my clients with $10,000 to invest: $500 comes off the top to pay for sales charges and my commission; and about $150 of your money goes for management and other expenses EACH YEAR. Now compare this to the cost of buying and owning the best funds from the biggest (and in my opinion best) fund companies in America in 2011: Vanguard and Fidelity. The total cost to buy is zero, because there are no sales charges. Yearly expenses can be about $50 for a $10,000 investment, sometimes less than HALF that.

The best investments in both bond and stock funds for most people are INDEX FUNDS. I call them the best funds because they really don’t have bad years relative to the competition, and they have the lowest costs. Index funds simply invest in line with their benchmark – an index. They don’t waste big bucks trying to do what few funds have ever done: beat the indexes consistently. Fidelity and Vanguard both offer stock and bond index funds and pass the savings on to you. Here are the best they offer for 2011 and beyond.

The best investments in bond funds for 2011 are short-term and intermediate-term bond index funds vs. long-term funds. The latter pay higher interest income, but are subject to much greater losses if interest rates turn around and head north during the year. The best investments in stock funds for 2011 are stock index funds with the number 500 in their name, referring to the S&P 500 Stock Index. These funds invest your money in 500 or so of the largest and best-known companies in America. This includes Exxon, Apple, Microsoft and General Electric as their largest holdings going into 2011.

So, there you have the whole package. The best fund companies offering the best investments for 2011 in the form of the best funds they offer… all in 500 words, or more. Plus, now you know how to save $500 up front the next time you invest $10,000 in mutual funds.