I was born in Hong Kong.  I didn’t grow up playing baseball or riding bikes because in Hong Kong, there’s no space for those things.  If you rode a bike down the street, you’d get hit by a car!

Instead I learned about cars.  I could tell you the make, model and what was under the hood of any car that drove by.

When we moved to the United States, my dad told me that there’d be hundreds of models of cars for me to choose from when I could afford to buy a car.  But he gave me one piece of advice…

“Sam, don’t ever buy a Japanese car.  They’ll rust, they’ll fall apart…they just aren’t reliable.”

So I did what kids have done since the dawn of time.  I ignored his advice!  I bought a 1974 Datsun 2402.  It was a beautiful car.  But sure enough, it eventually rusted and had engine trouble.

What’s my point here?  Well, let’s fast forward to today.  If we go into any parking lot and count the number of Japanese cars, I think we can all agree that at least half of them will be made in Japan, right?

Japanese cars today are synonymous with quality, reliability, and good value.  My point is that certain things improve over time, and what may have been true in the past, isn’t necessarily true today.

The same holds true for annuities…at least for the kind we use with our clients.

…If you like the idea of protecting your money from loss in the stock market…

…If you like the idea of trying to grow your money at a reasonable rate…

…If you like the idea of being able to create guaranteed lifetime income…

…All while retaining control of and access to your money…

Well, I hope you get the idea.  Made in Japan 30 years ago is very different from made in Japan today!