Better Than Bonds? A Look at Uncapped Fixed Index Annuities

Most people have three basic hopes for their investments.

They want growth. They want safety. And they want liquidity.

Unfortunately, it's next to impossible to find any one investment that offers all three. Usually, if a product or strategy is particularly strong in one category, it's lacking in another area. If an investment has huge growth potential, for example, it's usually pretty risky. If you settle on one that's considered especially safe -- with little or no risk of loss -- you'll likely have less growth and/or liquidity.

So there's the challenge. Finding the right portfolio balance has become increasingly important for investors -- especially those who are near or in retirement. But without discipline regarding diversification and asset allocation, it's difficult to accomplish.

When the stock market is consistently strong -- as it was in 2017 -- some investors forget about keeping that balance. They see the market going up and up, and they want their investments to reflect