Annuities

The voyage of a lifetime

As a financial professional, do you ever wonder why some clients resist the idea of developing a retirement plan? Chances are they may view the task as too complex or time-consuming. Or they may simply feel that they need more money to make the effort worthwhile. Regardless of the reason, we believe by adding an element of wonder and adventure into the planning process, many financial professionals would begin to see a higher adoption rate. And there is plenty of room for improvement, as only one in four U.S. investors have a written financial plan.^*

A sense of wonder

We think the process of helping your clients explore how they will fund their hopes and interests in the years ahead should be enlightening and exciting. And we can help you create that enthusiasm for this exercise.

At AuguStar Financial we are passionate about helping financial professionals grow their businesses and enhance client relationships. We are equally passionate about the wonders and exploration of space. And we see similarities among each endeavor that can help you engage with your clients in new ways that inspire them to view retirement planning in an entirely new light. So, to illustrate what we mean in this first AuguStar post, we zero in on one of NASA’s most remarkable and enduring stories.

Voyager 1 and 2: The unstoppable explorers of our cosmic neighborhood

In the annals of space exploration, few missions have captured the imagination and pushed the boundaries of human knowledge as much as the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 missions. Launched by NASA in the late 1970s, these twin probes were designed for what were initially expected to be relatively brief missions. Yet, they have defied the odds, surpassed expectations, and continue to be beacons of exploration over four decades later.

Lofty missions

The Voyager program was conceived as a grand tour of the outer solar system, taking advantage of a rare alignment of the giant planets—Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Voyager 2 was launched first on August 20, 1977, followed by Voyager 1 on September 5 of the same year. Their primary mission was to conduct close flybys of these distant worlds, returning valuable data about their atmospheres, magnetic fields, and unique moons. The initial service life of these spacecraft was expected to be five years.

Challenges and engineering triumphs

One of the earliest and most daunting challenges the Voyager probes faced was the need to communicate with Earth across vast distances. To solve this problem, engineers devised the Deep Space Network (DSN), an array of massive antennas around the globe. These antennas received signals from the Voyagers, enabling scientists to gather valuable data and send commands to the probes.

Another challenge was managing the spacecraft’s power source. Both Voyagers carried a nuclear-powered Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) to provide electricity. These RTGs have allowed the probes to function for decades, even as their power output has steadily declined.

One of the most remarkable engineering feats was Voyager 2’s flyby of Uranus and Neptune. These ice giants were uncharted territory, and the probes had to execute precise maneuvers to capture critical data. The success of these encounters expanded our understanding of these distant planets and their intriguing moons. And the images collected from Voyager probes have forever changed how we “see” our solar system.

No reason to retire

After their primary missions concluded, the Voyagers were far from retired. They continued to hurtle through space, providing valuable data on the outer regions of our solar system. In 1990, Voyager 1 turned its camera back towards Earth, capturing the iconic “Pale Blue Dot” image—a reminder of the fragile beauty of our home planet from the vantage point of interstellar space.

The Voyagers entered an area known as the heliosheath, where the influence of the sun’s gravity gives way to the gravitational pull of neighboring stars. Voyager 1, in particular, achieved a historic milestone in 2012 when it became the first human-made object to cross into interstellar space, marking a triumph for science and engineering.

Life after 40+ years of discovery

Today, more than four decades after their launches, both Voyagers continue to send data back to Earth. While their instruments have gradually been turned off to conserve power, their ability to communicate with Earth remains active. These venerable probes continue to explore and expand our understanding of the cosmos.

The Voyager probes serve as ambassadors of humanity, carrying a golden record containing sounds and images of Earth’s diversity, culture, and life forms. These messages in a bottle, designed to endure for billions of years, are a testament to our curiosity and desire to connect with potential extraterrestrial civilizations.

The scientific legacy of the Voyager missions is immeasurable. They have provided insights into the nature of the outer planets, their moons, and the boundary of our solar system. The Voyager 1 and 2 missions have exceeded their initial expectations, demonstrating the resilience of human engineering and the insatiable thirst for knowledge. These remarkable spacecrafts, still functional and communicating with Earth, continue to inspire us to explore the unknown and reach for the stars, reminding us that the quest for knowledge knows no bounds.

The journey your clients take

In many ways, the journeys of Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 bear a striking resemblance to the life journey of your clients saving for retirement and their experiences in retirement itself. Just as these space probes began with a well-defined mission but encountered unforeseen challenges and detours along the way, your clients’ plans will also face unexpected twists due to life’s uncertainties. Yet, like the dedicated NASA engineers who adapted and guided the Voyagers to new horizons, you play an essential role in helping your clients navigate changing circumstances and work towards a fulfilling and successful journey.

And much like how the Voyager missions extended far beyond their initial expectations and brought new revelations about our universe, the later stages of retirement can often find your clients accomplishing new things and having experiences they never could have imagined during their working years. Just as the Voyagers continue to contribute to our understanding of the cosmos, careful planning and prudent financial management can help ensure your clients work towards a fulfilling and rewarding retirement, even as it unfolds in ways they may not have initially envisioned.

In both cases, the key lies in adaptability, resilience, and the support of dedicated professionals who guide us through the unknown, whether it’s the boundless expanse of space or the equally vast landscape of retirement planning. As we look to the remarkable Voyagers for inspiration, we can appreciate that our own life journeys, like theirs, have the potential to transcend our original plans and lead us to destinations that are indeed out of this world.

Browse the rest of augustarfinancial.com to discover how we can help you bring a sense of fun and wonder to the planning process with your clients.