Amerus Financial Group Blog

The 3-Phase Retirement Income Crisis We Just Solved for Sarah (Case Study) Last month, a 58-year-old teacher named Sarah walked into our office with a retirement plan that looked solid on paper but had three critical gaps that could have cost her $200,000 in lifetime income. Her story reveals exactly why traditional retirement advice fails - and how we rebuilt her strategy using a systematic annuity approach that guarantees her income for life. The Setup: What Looked Like Success Was Actually Financial Quicksand Sarah had done everything right according to conventional wisdom. She'd maxed out her 403(b) for 15 years, built a $380,000 balance, and planned to retire at 62 with Social Security plus her savings. Her financial advisor had her in a balanced portfolio earning 7% annually - the classic 60/40 approach that's supposed to work for everyone. But when Amerus Insurance Group ran our retirement income analysis, we found three dangerous assumptions that could derail her en...

Why Most Life Insurance Policies Fail Families When They're Needed Most Here's something most insurance companies won't tell you: 40% of life insurance claims face delays or complications during the claims process. After helping families navigate thousands of life insurance decisions over the decades, we've seen too many situations where well-intentioned policies created more problems than solutions when families needed support most. The real issue isn't that people don't buy life insurance – it's that they buy the wrong type, in the wrong amounts, or structured in ways that create tax nightmares and beneficiary disputes. At Amerus Insurance Group , we've built our approach around avoiding these common failure points that trip up even smart, well-prepared families. The Hidden Traps That Sink Life Insurance Plans Most people think life insurance planning means "buy a policy and forget it." That's exactly how families end up in trou...

Medicare Chaos: Why 2026 Brings the Most Confusing Enrollment Year Yet Here's something most seniors don't realize: 2026 Medicare enrollment is shaping up to be a perfect storm of confusion. Between major carrier exits, formulary changes, and new plan restrictions, we're seeing more bewildered clients at Amerus Insurance Group than in any previous year. If you thought Medicare was complicated before, buckle up. The Great Medicare Shuffle of 2026 Three major trends are colliding to create unprecedented enrollment complexity this year. First, several major carriers have pulled out of specific markets entirely. Second, remaining plans have dramatically restructured their formularies. Third, CMS has tightened regulations around Special Enrollment Periods, making timing more important than ever. Our team at Amerus Insurance Group has processed over 200 plan comparisons in the past month alone. What we're seeing isn't just normal year-to-year changes - it's a fu...