IUL.Solutions

06/17/2026

The most common annuity objection I hear: "The math is stacked against you."

It's half right.

Yes, actuarial science is designed so the insurance company doesn't lose. But here's what that argument misses: you're not trying to beat the house. You're buying guaranteed income for life — something no savings account or investment portfolio can replicate on its own.

I break down how mortality credits work, what fees actually mean in context, and how guaranteed income gives the rest of your money room to grow.

Comment INCOME to get the conversation started.

https://iul.solutions/blog/annuity-objection-half-right/

06/10/2026

Most retirement plans are built around one goal:
Accumulate as much as possible.
That's not a retirement strategy. That's a starting point.
Accumulation gets you TO retirement.
Guaranteed income gets you THROUGH it.
The 2026 EBRI Retirement Confidence Survey found that 4 in 5 workers want guaranteed monthly income they can't outlive. Not a bigger balance. A paycheck for life.
Retirement expert Tom Hegna calls it — guarantee the income you need, let the rest ride. We work backwards from your number, not forward from your balance.
If you have a 401(k), IRA, or savings account and no guaranteed income plan — you've got half a strategy.
Read the full article here. 👇
https://iul.solutions/blog/accumulation-retirement-guaranteed-income/

06/08/2026

Most people think retirement planning is about finding the right investment.
It's not.
It's about building three things: Safety. Income. Growth. In that order.
I call it the 3-Layer Plan — and it's the framework the smartest retirees I work with are using right now.
Final article in the series → https://iul.solutions/blog/real-safe-money-shift-2026-retirees/

06/05/2026

"I want safe income in retirement… but I don't want a tax mess later."
I hear this all the time. And honestly — it's the right concern.
There's a strategy called PIRC that addresses it directly. Structured annuity income designed to be tax-free — coordinated with your CPA.
Plain English explanation here →

Most retirees assume taxes will go down in retirement. Many are surprised to find they pay more than expected. Here's how PIRC — coordinated with your CPA — can help structure tax-free retirement income through a properly designed annuity.

06/05/2026

"I want safe income in retirement… but I don't want a tax mess later."

I hear this all the time. And honestly — it's the right concern.
There's a strategy called PIRC that addresses it directly. Mini Roth conversions inside an annuity. Tax-free income without the Roth eligibility limits.
For a plain English explanation: https://iul.solutions/blog/smarter-tax-free-retirement-income-pirc/

06/01/2026

Nobel Prize winner Richard Thaler famously highlighted something called "The Annuity Puzzle."
If annuities can provide guaranteed lifetime income and protect retirees from outliving their money — why do so few people voluntarily buy one?
The answer isn't about rates, fees, or complexity. It's about how human beings actually make decisions under uncertainty.
We break down the 6 real reasons people avoid annuities — and what it actually takes to make the conversation feel right.
Read the full article. → https://iul.solutions/blog/annuity-puzzle-why-people-dont-buy-annuities/

05/02/2026

You may have seen the news — President Trump just signed an executive order to help millions of Americans open a low-cost IRA through a new federal website (TrumpIRA.gov).

If you don't have a 401(k) at work, this could matter to you.

Here's the honest breakdown:

🟡 What it IS: A way to open a low-cost IRA modeled on the federal TSP (think low-fee index funds), with up to $1,000/year in federal matching contributions if you qualify.

🔴 What it ISN'T: A complete retirement plan.

To get the match, you have to earn under $35,500 as a single filer. The funds grow tax-deferred, but you'll owe taxes when you withdraw. And no one is handing you a plan for how to turn that balance into income in retirement.

More money saved is always a good thing. But the people I worry about are the ones who think this checks the box — and then arrive at 65 with a balance but no plan.

If you're in or near Nashville and want to talk through where the TrumpIRA fits in the bigger picture, I'm happy to have that conversation.

04/28/2026

What are the two most important questions that you must answer before you retire?

https://tomhegna.com/on-demand | What are the two most important questions that you must answer before you retire? Retirement no longer needs to be so comp...

04/26/2026

Approaching or in retirement? Listen to the story of the five 90 year old ladies. How could it be so simple? Less than 3 minutes.

58 likes, 1 comment. "Tom Hegna Talks About Mortality Credits"

04/25/2026

Most people spend 30 years building a portfolio. Very few ever ask if it's actually built for retirement.

Retirement income expert Tom Hegna documents something in Paychecks and Playchecks that most people close to retirement have never been told:

Take a diversified portfolio with stocks and bonds. Remove some bonds. Replace them with a lifetime income annuity.
Risk goes down. Returns go up. At the same time.

That's not a sales pitch. That's documented research.
The question isn't whether this works. The question is why no one told you sooner.