Ask Paula: What the F**k are Annuities?

#137: Today's episode is an annuity sandwich: we answer one question about family and relationships, three questions about annuities, and one question about time management.

My friend and former financial planner Joe Saul-Sehy joins me to answer questions in what, I hope, is the most entertaining episode about annuities you'll hear.

Here are the five questions that we'll tackle today.

Anonymous asks:
I didn't grow up with much money, and my father recently went into bankruptcy. I've worked hard to become financially stable. Unfortunately, my parents expect a handout. How do you handle parents and other family members who look for handouts when they see you're doing well?

Zoey asks:
I'd like to retire in the next 10-15 years. I'd like to understand the difference between an investment with a lump-sum payout vs. an annuity fund. What are the benefits and drawbacks of these options? How do annuities work? What are their benefits? How do I know what's right for me?

Charlene asks:
Let's say you're looking at your retirement portfolio, and you realize you're behind. You still have 10-15 years left. You have 10 percent of your portfolio in an annuity. Should you move this money into a stock fund? Or should you keep the annuity?

Magy asks:
My husband and I are both 32, and save 25% of their income for retirement. He has a 401(k) and maxes out a Roth IRA. I'm a teacher and make a pension contribution.

I also max out my Roth IRA and contribute a small amount to a 403(b). My 403(b), however, has a variable annuity with no surrender charge, with a 1.5 percent account fee. Should I keep putting money in this 403(b)? I also have a side hustle; would it be better for me to open a retirement account through my side business?

Also, since we're already saving 25% towards retirement, I'm curious if we should invest more for other goals. We're putting 3 percent of our income in non-retirement investment accounts and 1.5 percent of our income in our sons' 529 plans. How should we divide our savings between retirement vs. other long-term goals?

Laura asks:
You've often written about the importance of an emergency fund and cash reserves. Do you have any ideas in thinking about this way with regard to your time or focus?

If you're spending at capacity -- whether you're spending money, time or focus -- you have no space for either emergencies or opportunities. How do you conceptualize this? How do you balance busy-ness with the importance of creating free time and space?

We answer these five questions in today's episode. Enjoy!

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Resources Mentioned:

- Afford Anything podcast episode with Laura Vanderkam
- Laura Vanderkam's book, 168 Hours
- David Allen's book, Getting Things Done
- Austin Kleon's book, Steal Like an Artist
- RoseMarie Garner interview on the FinCon podcast
- Afford Anything blog post, "I tracked my time in 15 min increments"

Visit the website at https://affordanything.com/episode137