The Annuity Stanifesto

Name: The Annuity Stanifesto
Author: Stan G. Haithcock
ISBN: 978-0615895512

by Stan G. Haithcock ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 27, 2014

A reasonable, coherent explanation of annuities that occasionally reads more like a sales brochure than a personal finance...

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A finance professional’s guide to annuities as a tool for managing income in retirement.

In this debut business book, Haithcock combines clearly written, easy-to-follow advice on purchasing annuities as an investment tool with a pitch for his services as an annuity broker. He explains the purpose of an annuity—using the acronym PILL: Principal protection, Income for life, Legacy, Long-term care/confinement care—and introduces readers to the different products available and the potential advantages and disadvantages of each. Sentences—e.g., “Annuities are in essence contractual guarantees. That is how they should be considered—and in a perfect world, sold”—make the book seem like it’s aimed at an audience just above novice. Haithcock is also straightforward in explaining to readers what annuities are not well-suited for: “No annuity product on the planet will combat hyperinflation. It’s really just that simple, so do not believe any hyperinflation annuity hype or projected number scenarios.” While the book’s factual information is reasonable and delivered in an evenhanded tone, readers may begin to tire of the numerous references to the business and services Haithcock offers, most of which are accompanied in the text by trademark or copyright symbols. The body of the text contains about 30 references to “The AnnuityMan Steakhouse,” Haithcock’s term for his company’s offerings—“Because you should buy an annuity for the steak, not the sizzle”—and the phrase “Stan the Annuity Man” appears even more frequently. Some of Haithcock’s references to himself seem to be tongue-in-cheek, such as the inclusion of his birth on a timeline of events in annuity history. At other times, the salesmanship is simply over-the-top: “Annuity Realityville is a place I never leave. I love living there. It is a place where we only consider the contractual guarantees, and we fully explain and understand the good and the bad of every strategy before we make any decisions.” Readers who approach the book with a degree of skepticism are most likely to find it effective.

A reasonable, coherent explanation of annuities that occasionally reads more like a sales brochure than a personal finance guide.

Pub Date: Feb. 27, 2014

ISBN: 978-0615895512

Page Count: 140

Publisher: AnnuityMan Publishing

Review Posted Online: May 23, 2014

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

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NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

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This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

Categories:

GENERAL NONFICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING
by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

- BOOK REVIEW
THE NUTCRACKER
by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

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TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

EPISODES FROM THE LIFE OF LADY MENDL (ELSIE DE WOLFE)

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

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An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.