How To Safely Weather Today's Unprecedented Market Volatility Without Losing Your Shirt To A Bear

“For Stocks, Worst Single Day Drop in Two Decades”

This headline from the New York Times on September 29, 2008 well illustrates the parade of bad reports that have dominated the news over the past year.

Stocks. Bonds. Mutual funds. Even real estate. All of these investments have suffered from the negative effects of the current economic debacle. Unlike any recession before, there has been no true safe shelter. As a result, there is now a “flight to safety” as investors and retirees return to a more balanced and conservative investment approach.

Imagine that! Investing for the long-term while protecting your hard-earned money and retirement savings. Sounds like a good idea, but where do you actually go to put your “safe money”?

Unfortunately, with the current low interest environment, CDs, money market funds, bonds and other fixed investments hardly pay enough to keep up with inflation. And the diminutive net earnings they do make will probably be consumed by income taxes. Consequently for many today, a safe return often means no return at all!

On the other hand, many others with more appetite for risk and looking for growth have their monies sitting on the sidelines just waiting for a market rebound.

The bottom line is that we all want to have our cake and eat it too, right? We want both SAFETY and GROWTH, but can we really have it all? The surprising answer is YES, WE CAN HAVE IT ALL.

Upside Market Potential & Principal Protection with an Equity Indexed Annuity

Today’s new breed of annuities have risen to the challenge and provide a long needed solution for savvy but cautious investors. Although indexed annuities are not market investments, their returns are tied to market indexes. If the market performs well, your annuity performs well. And if the market tanks (again), your principal is 100% protected from losing even one penny of your hard-earned retirement savings. That’s a WIN-WIN for you, the investor!

So don’t time the market and risk your valuable retirement nest-egg. Instead, take advantage of the market with a principal protected indexed annuity.

PUBLISHED IN THE APRIL 2009 FIDELITYASSURANCE NEWSLETTER