a confession from 2029

Dear John,

I have a confession to make; I’ve been cheating on you. It all started ten years ago, after the spring 2019 market crash. You told me that even though we’d been hit hard that we’d be all right. But John, you sounded like a broken record after saying the same thing in 2001 and 2008. Frankly, I couldn’t take it anymore.

That $100,000 you noticed missing from the checking account that year, I really didn’t spend it on shoes like you thought. I bought a fixed annuity with a lifetime benefit rider. Buying the annuity turned out to be a smart move since strife and uncertainty over China caused extreme stock market volatility in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. Through it all the annuity kept growing and the guaranteed income grew even faster.

I remember you suggesting at one point that we simply sell our stocks and mutual funds and put all the money into gold. Of course, after that Iranian nuclear accident in 2023 caused all the spiders to begin spinning webs of gold the bottom fell out of the market – I understand gold is down to $35 a ton.

I remember you suggesting at one point that we simply sell our stocks and mutual funds and put all the money into gold. Of course, after that Iranian nuclear accident in 2023 caused all the spiders to begin spinning webs of gold the bottom fell out of the market – I understand gold is down to $35 a ton.

I know that President Gaga says this recession is simply because we were born this way and if we keep our poker face showing to the rest of the world that we will be on the edge of glory, but since China now owns our national parks as payment for our Treasury debt I’m just not as optimistic as I used to be. Fortunately, that annuity will allow me to retire this year with an income far higher than I ever dreamed and the certainty that it will be around as long as I am...a certainty you were never able to give me.

John, you’ve been a great stockbroker, but I’ve left you for my annuity agent.

All my love,

Mary

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About Dr. Jack Marrion
Dr. Marrion’s research on senior decision making and the financial world have been featured in hundreds of publications including: Business Week, Kiplinger, Smart Money, and The Wall Street Journal. He is the author of six books and a frequent media guest.