A growing number of financial planners and investment advisors are coming to realize that all financial issues cannot be properly addressed solely with a portfolio of securities.

As someone who has been licensed to sell insurance for longer than I’ve been licensed to provide investment advice, I recognize that much of what I do is an attempt to blend what a client has done for years with what experience tells me will have to change going forward. The problem is, as we age, our need for security increases and, in an economic environment such as we have now, our stress level can become substantially greater.

I’ve posted blogs in recent weeks ( see December 1, 2011 ) that offers a solution to the kind of stress that can result from 300 – 500 point daily swings in the DOW or S&P500. That’s an “investment advice” solution that applies whether you are simply starting out in life, are 60 and thinking about retirement, or 75 and hanging on for dear life.

My point here is that insurance and annuities can offer a great alternative. Perhaps not for all your money, but for at least some of it. Committing core capital into annuities to deliver a guaranteed income makes days in the market that result in headlines a “non-event”.

I mentioned to my son the other day that mentally, I feel as sharp as I did when I was his age. Almost 40 years ago! But physically, my body simply refuses to respond the way I want it to when my brain says “go” or “turn left.” It may or may not respond, or perhaps it will “turn right and stop”. If you are of my generation, you’ll understand.

If I’m lucky enough to live another 20 years (my uncle is 95) there’s a good chance my wife is going to need help looking after me. And it may turn out that I will need help looking after her. Enter the world of what we in the business call LONG TERM CARE.

Incorporating a strategy like MoneyGuard to assure a substantial increase in income when long-term care is needed takes the worry and concern out of how that issue will be handled. And, setting up an insurance policy to apply the Required Minimum Distributions from a qualified retirement plan will deliver more value to your heirs with certainty and predictability….not to mention less taxes.

Among my responsibilities as a financial advisor is to provide assurance that there are valid tools to help get more value from your financial resources. True, not all clients should use our products and strategies. But my role is to identify not only your needs today but your needs tomorrow and recommend options to provide a more secure and predicable result.

Many thanks to Gene Pastula of Westland Financial Services in San Diego for the idea behind this post.