About Personal Retirement Advisor

Personal Retirement Advisor is dedicated to providing independent, critical thought about developing and managing an effective process for converting savings and accumulated benefits to income. The site offers analysis of common and uncommon options which should be considered in the process of arriving at the right mix of income, security, growth, bequests to heirs, risk and simplicity/complexity. As snopes.com is determined to expose "urban legends" so is Personal Retirement Advisor determined to help readers through the often confusing maze of retirement decision-making. If we are successful, our readers will gain a working knowledge of the primary tools of retirement income and will have a road map to guide them to the choices that result in a lifelong, productive and comfortable income which has three primary characteristics: security, growth and abundance. We assume no particular preparation nor the size of anyone's "portfolio". The ideas we present are meant to benefit anyone. However, those who will gain the most from reading this site are persons within 5-10 years of retirement and those already retired. Personal Retirement Advisor is brought to you by Gaia Capital Management, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor.

---

Investing for Income

Investing for income involves finding and evaluating great income opportunities among:

• Bonds of all types and maturities (due dates)
• Dividend-paying common stocks
• Preferred stocks
• Exchange Traded Funds devoted to income

The list of possibilities is very large, well over 10,000. Is there evidence that income investing works? Looking at the investing strategies of endowments, large pension funds and insurance companies provides an answer. The first two tend to be more adventurous - investing world-wide in real estate, common stocks, "private equity" and bonds. Insurance companies are more cautious. Being regulated, they invest in mostly bonds and real estate, with a smattering of stocks. If these large entities can do well and satisfy their obligations to their constituencies, why can't you?

Income investing, either directly or through an advisor like Gaia Capital Management, Inc., allows a person of ordinary means to "play with the big boys" and to avoid the "middle man" of insurance companies. Of course, eschewing the insurance company guarantees for perhaps 3% to 4% more income brings a different risk than one has with insurance products, but after some seasoning most income investors are very happy with their choice to "buy income," our term for converting a cash balance into income producing securities.

The PRA site won't make you a great income investor, but it will help you assemble solid objectives and a workable strategy that is right for you.

---

Gaia Capital Management at a Glance

The mission of Gaia Capital Management, Inc. (Gaia) is the financial well-being of our clients. We strive to simplify and to enrich their lives through investment management and consultation on such issues as goal setting, estate planning and the exploration of alternative paths to feeling truly comfortable about personal financial matters. The staff at Gaia has more than 20 years of experience in investment management and financial planning. Neither Gaia nor its staff have loyalties, financial or otherwise, to anyone but clients; client interest is paramount in all of our motives and actions. We welcome you to learn more about Gaia, including management techniques and fees, by visiting Gaia's home page at www.gaiacapital.com.