Questions, answered.

John C. Gilbert, MBA, of In-Line Insurance & Annuities. He is an independent agent, licensed in Texas since 2002, who specializes in 403(b) tax-sheltered annuities for educators, school districts, churches, museums, pastors and other non-profit organizations. Call 832-722-4749 or visit 11811 North Freeway, Suite 504, Houston, Texas 77060.

Call John Gilbert at 832-722-4749, email gilbejc@gmail.com, or send a note through the form at inlineinsure.com/contact/. The office is at 11811 North Freeway, Suite 504, Houston, Texas 77060, open Monday to Friday 9 am to 6 pm; Saturday by prepaid appointment only; closed Sunday.

Not completely. TRS pays 2.3% of your average salary for each year of service, and survivor options, health care and taxes reduce what you take home. In the example on inlineinsure.com, an educator retiring after 32 years on a $75,900 final salary goes from $5,234 a month to $2,917: a potential 44% loss of spendable income. A 403(b) is the usual way to fill that gap; the TRS gap calculator at inlineinsure.com/retirement/teachers/ estimates yours.

Less than you save, because contributions come out before federal income tax. In the 22% bracket, $300 a month into a 403(b) lowers take-home pay by about $234. Texas has no state income tax. Contributions still pay Social Security and Medicare tax, and withdrawals are taxed as income later. This is not tax advice: please consult your accountant.

Yes. John Gilbert helps self-employed people and other individuals save with IRA and Roth IRA annuities. A traditional IRA can lower taxable income now, with tax paid on withdrawal; a Roth IRA is funded with after-tax money and qualified withdrawals are tax-free.

A Single Premium Deferred Annuity (SPDA) takes one payment; a Flexible Premium Deferred Annuity (FPDA) takes many payments while it grows, such as salary reduction or bank draft; an Equity Indexed Annuity (EIA) is a fixed annuity whose interest is tied at least in part to an index such as the S&P 500, with premiums protected from index declines in most designs. All three grow tax-deferred.

Final expense insurance pays for a funeral and burial so your family doesn’t have to. John Gilbert offers it through Lincoln Heritage. Many people who can’t get a traditional life insurance policy can still be covered, and if you answer no to the health questions you can be covered the same day.

A traditional funeral and burial commonly costs $15,355 and up, according to the cost breakdown John shares from Lincoln Heritage: funeral services $8,755, cemetery plot $3,000, opening and closing of the grave $1,600 and an upright stone marker $2,000. Final expense insurance is sized to cover these costs.

It depends on which one best meets your needs. Term life gives the most coverage for the least cost for a set period, such as while children are home or a mortgage is open. Whole life costs more but lasts as long as premiums are paid and builds tax-deferred cash value. John Gilbert compares options across companies; call 832-722-4749.

As an independent agent he works with several companies. On the annuity side these include Midland National, Life Insurance Company of the Southwest, National Life Group and Allianz Life. He offers final expense coverage through Lincoln Heritage.

Guarantees are dependent on the claims-paying ability of the issuing company. That is one reason an independent agent like John Gilbert compares well-established companies before recommending one.

Yes, when it is the right fit: individual and family plans, Medicare plans and Medicaid plans for those who qualify through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, and BestOne Dental plans. Most of John Gilbert’s work is retirement savings, final expense and life insurance.

Yes. Customers are all over the United States, but the focus is Texas. The office is on the North Freeway in Houston, and John Gilbert can be reached at 832-722-4749.