I am writing this in a hotel room in Pennsylvania, on the last evening before I head home. I went on an extended road trip – which was a mixture of business and sightseeing – and it was productive. I apologize to folks who contacted me while I was away (I didn’t construct an Outlook out-of-office message, alas); I did my best to answer their queries and meet their needs however I need to get back to finish up certain matters.

I am calling the journey my “Southern Sojurn” as I visited parts further down on the U.S. map than New Hampshire; it provided me with some much-needed time in new surroundings. I did a ton of driving and that has been tiring, to be sure. But once I get back I will have a fresh outlook on things.

Here I’ll share a scene from a coffee shop in lovely Georgia town I liked so much that I extended my stay there. The coffee was tasty, albeit pricey, and I wasn’t quite ready for the 9% sales tax, as we have no such tax in my state.

Seated not far from me was a fellow I would judge to be in his 30s to 40s, in a business suit, chatting with a couple who were probably in their 70s. I didn’t intend on eavesdropping but I heard some snatches of their conversation and the name of a major insurer came up. As he spoke he mentioned an annuity benefit that contains a growth aspect (I quickly identified as a base rollup – one of several on offer) along with a lifetime withdrawal amount.

Ah, to hear firsthand an advisor presenting a GLWB to potential buyers! That was a treat hard to turn down, although with a sense of propriety (hopefully), I did not strain to hear every word.

The fellow didn’t cover the rider in excruciating detail by any means. As I recall he but lightly touched on the investment options available in what was clearly a variable annuity. At one point he said the income amount could be used to fund…something, which I could not make out (it might have been retirement but could it have been a grandchild’s college costs? I’ve heard such things before). He also mentioned the free-out provision for liquidity.

I think he presented things agreeably; I didn’t detect a hard-sell approach at all. This meeting could have been but an initial broaching of the subject, as this advisor would need to bring the couple in to his office to hash out details and get them, in the end, to sign on the dotted line.

I don’t recall him presenting the VA and its benefit in the context of an exchange out of an existing annuity. Nor did I hear any “get this deal while you can” rhetoric. I think I would have certainly picked up on those.

Assumedly such conversations are happening every day around these United States. How many of them start over coffee? I can only guess.