Craig Toberman Breaks Down Safe Havens, Annuities & LTC in Bankrate Features
As investors navigate volatile markets and rising retirement challenges, Craig Toberman, a certified financial planner and partner at Toberman Becker Wealth, offers a steady voice of clarity across three recent Bankrate features. His guidance centers on simplicity, transparency, and long-term financial preparedness, and he doesn’t hesitate to call out when financial products fall short of these standards.
Safe Havens in Uncertain Markets
In “Ask the experts, Which ‘safe haven’ assets should I consider for my portfolio?”, Toberman points to U.S. Treasury bills (T-bills) as one of the most practical tools for short-term cash management. He praises their tax efficiency, simplicity, and security:
“They offer liquidity, they're exempt from state income taxes, and they avoid penalties or surrender charges common with other products.”
“The process is straightforward once it’s set up. For many investors, it's a small effort that can lead to better outcomes and more control.”
Annuities: Not Always the Silver Bullet
Even as annuity sales hit a record $434.1 billion in 2024, Toberman urges caution in “Most financial advisors aren’t recommending annuities. Here’s why.” He warns that many annuity contracts are overly complex and challenging to evaluate, even for professionals:
“The fees and complexity built into many annuities can make them difficult to evaluate, even for professionals.”
“If you can't explain what you’re buying back to me in plain language, you probably shouldn’t sign the dotted line.”
Rethinking Long-Term Care Funding
In “How to fund an annuity for long-term care,” Toberman offers a human-centered perspective to a financially complex challenge. He acknowledges that decisions around long-term care are often driven by emotion as much as math:
“Behavioral factors like aversion to uncertainty, family health history, and emotional experiences often drive the decision more than spreadsheets.”
“By focusing on eliminating the mortgage as part of their long-term financial plan, we position the home equity as a flexible resource. One that can sell, downsize, or tap if needed to cover these substantial expenses.”
“We do explore reverse mortgages, but more often lean toward home equity lines of credit or retirement-based lending structures to avoid immediately triggering debt or reducing inheritance.”
“Many times, straightforward strategies like earmarking certain assets to self-insure against future LTC expenses can help reduce the need for complex hybrid products.”
The Takeaway
Across all three articles, Toberman’s perspective stands out for its clarity, practicality, and client-first mindset. Whether guiding clients toward stable options like T-bills, away from opaque annuity products, or through complex long-term care planning, he offers a steady, informed voice grounded in real-world outcomes, not just theoretical returns.
In an era of increasingly complex financial choices, Toberman cuts through the noise with a clear-eyed, trustworthy approach that empowers clients to move forward with confidence.
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Craig Toberman is a Partner at Toberman Becker Wealth – a fee-only, fiduciary financial advisor based in St. Louis. He assists families and businesses with strategic financial planning and long-term wealth management. He has over a decade of experience in financial services and has crafted custom financial plans for hundreds of families and businesses.