​Retirement Distribution Member Profile

My name is Gwen Todd.

I live in Ottawa, Kansas.

My family centers around my grandchildren. (I'm widowed.)

I used to work at AT&T (retired after 20 years.) I was also a partner in a family RV business.

My Modern Woodmen representative is Dale Pearson, Ottawa, Kansas.

My top financial concern right now is affording the things in life I like to do (trips and doing fun things with my grandchildren). I want to make sure I don't outlive my money.

My Modern Woodmen representative is helping me address that concern by always being there to help me whenever I need anything. Dale is very knowledgeable and has given me great advice for many years – even before retirement. He has always been easy to understand, and I really trust him. He is also a good friend who cares about his members. He does so many things for this community.

One financial product I'm relying on now is a single premium immediate annuity. After Dale explained how it worked, it seemed like a good fit for me. It will give me guaranteed income. Even if I outlive the funds I originally contributed, the income will keep coming in.

My advice for other members is to ask a lot of questions if you're not sure what to do. Start planning for retirement before you actually retire!

Dale's advice: My members work hard to save. I help make sure those savings are safe and available when needed. I want them to be able to maintain the kind of lifestyle they want. When it came time for Gwen to start taking retirement distributions, we talked about the options available – from immediate annuities to securities products. She liked the guaranteed, steady income an immediate annuity could provide. We also made sure she had other investments for emergencies.