The Basics of Annuities

Fixed Annuity
Variable Annuity
Equity Index Annuity

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An annuity is a retirement-planning tool that has two phases: the accumulation phase and the annuitization phase.
In the accumulation phase, you give money to an insurance or investment company over a period of time or in a lump sum, and it earns a rate of return. In the annuitization phase, you begin to withdraw regular payments (such as monthly or annually) from your contract until you die.

An annuity has a death benefit, although it is not like one found in a life insurance policy. If you die before you annuitize, your beneficiary will receive either the current value of your annuity or the amount you have paid into it, whichever is greater. For example, if you die when your investments are performing poorly and your account value is less than what you have paid in, your beneficiary would receive the amount you paid in.

Once you begin to receive monthly payments, you no longer have a death benefit on your contract. For example, if you annuitize at age 65 and die at age 67, the insurance company keeps your money in your contract. However, you can buy "term certain" annuities, which guarantee that either you or your beneficiary will receive payments for a certain period of time, such as 10 to 15 years. For example, if you died three years after you began receiving payments from a 10-year term certain annuity, your beneficiary would still receive payments for the next seven years.

The money in your annuity grows tax-deferred, meaning that the money is not taxable until you begin to receive payments from your annuity. Once you receive payments, your gains are taxed at your ordinary income tax rate. If you die before you annuitize, your beneficiary pays taxes on the death benefit. In either case, the person who receives the money (the annuity holder or your beneficiary) is taxed at his or her ordinary income tax rate.

The ideal annuity buyer is 55 or older. Annuities are less attractive to younger investors because there is a 10 percent penalty tax if you withdraw money from your annuity before age 59½ for reasons other than death or disability. However, many people who have already retired and need annuity income right away opt for immediate annuities, which skip the accumulation phase and begin to issue payments as soon as you invest in the contract.

The ideal annuity buyer is a person who has already contributed the maximum amount to their existing tax-deferred retirement plan, such as a 401(k), 403(b), or IRA. That's because you are already building up tax-deferred money in those plans, and those savings vehicles cost much less than an annuity.

There are three kinds of annuities and each differ in how the money in your contract is invested.

Fixed annuity.

The money you invest earns a fixed rate of interest that is guaranteed by the insurance company. The upside is that there is no risk involved. The downside is that you will miss out on any gains you could have made if the stock market performs well. When you annuitize, your payments are also fixed.

Variable annuity.

Your money is placed in investment options known as sub accounts, which are similar to mutual funds.  Each sub account has its own degree of risk, ranging from aggressive growth funds to bond funds. The upside is that you have the opportunity to make substantial gains, depending on the performance of your investment. The downside is that you will lose money if your investments perform poorly. Another VA downside: It may cost you to switch your money among sub accounts. When you annuitize, your payments fluctuate depending on the performance of your investments. Some VAs allow "fixed annuitization," in which you receive fixed payments. The insurance or investment company recalculates your payments each year based on the performance of your investments.

Variable annuities are better suited to investors who can withstand the volatility of the market's ups and downs and who are not dependant on the returns for necessary living expenses.

Equity-indexed annuity. (EIA)

Your money is invested in a fixed account and you may earn additional interest based on the performance of a particular stock index, such as the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the NASDAQ Composite Index, or the Russell 2000 Index.
With an EIA you get the best of both worlds — the opportunity to earn money from stocks and the stability of a fixed account with guaranteed preservation of principal-an especially appealing factor to anyone who is averse to market losses.
The only downside is that the gains you can make in the contract due to the performance of the stock index will not equal the "full" appreciation of market increase.
Example: You may have an EIA that is paying a minimum guaranteed 8%. The S&P Index rises, increasing interest returns to 14%. Your EIA might then adjust to 12%, but not 14%. Why is this? The 2% spread between the market and your rate is the "cost" of having had the security against loss in any market drop. Another plus with the EIA is that once your interest rate is re-set..in this case to 12%, it can't go back down no matter what happens to the market.

On the flip side, if you were in an indexed annuity at 8% and the market dropped severely to a 2 or 3% level, then you suffer no loss on accumulated value (principal and interest) and your interest rate does not go below 8%. The guarantees in an EIA would hold your accumulated principal and earnings and you would suffer no market losses.

EIAs offers a great deal of security for investors who wish to avoid market downside fluctuations and be assured of a minimum return.

As with all annuity products, your money grows tax-deferred.
 

If you buy an annuity and then decide you want to get out of the contract, you can surrender your annuity. Most companies charge you a surrender fee if you decide to get out your annuity within the first seven to eight years of owning it. The shorter amount of time you are in the annuity, the more you'll pay in surrender fees. For example, if your annuity has a seven-year surrender period, and you surrender your annuity in the first year, you may pay seven percent of the value of your investment to the company. If you surrender in the second year, you may pay 6 percent, and so on.

If you want to switch one annuity for another, you can do so without paying taxes. Exchanging one contract for another is known as a 1035 exchange (named after Section 1035 of the federal tax code). In a 1035 exchange, you can exchange a life insurance policy for another life insurance policy, an annuity for another annuity, or a life insurance policy for an annuity without paying taxes. However, you cannot exchange an annuity for a life insurance policy without paying taxes on the gains in your contract.

If you need to tap into your money before the surrender period, some insurers will allow you to access a small percentage of your investment, about 10 to 15 percent, under certain circumstances, such as serious illness or disability. After the surrender period, you can withdraw as much out of your annuity as you want. However, if you take out that money before age 59½, it is subject to 10 percent penalty tax.

If you decide to add an annuity to your portfolio, here are some things to consider:

♦♦Figure out how much you have accumulated in other tax-deferred savings plans or pensions. Determine if there is a possibility that you could outlive your retirement assets.

♦♦Determine what kind of annuity you want. Do you want your investment to be steady and guaranteed? Then you may want to consider a fixed annuity. Are you willing to ride out the highs and lows of the stock market in the hopes of making more money? Then you may want to opt for a variable annuity. If you want a guarantee and the ability to participate in market increases, then go for the Equity Index annuity.

♦♦Estimate how long you plan to have your money in the contract. On most annuities, you will pay hefty surrender fees if you surrender during the first seven to eight years on your contract.

♦♦Examine the M&E fee structure of a contract carefully. Fees vary by company and by contract, so make sure you are comfortable that you are getting good value for what you are paying for.

♦♦Some annuities have features and riders that can meet a future need. For example, some variable annuities have long term care riders that will pay for nursing home costs. Others give you a bonus of 1 to 5 percent of your investment when you open an annuity.

Your financial advisor will be able to clarify any questions you have regarding the appropriateness of annuities in your overall plan. Ask! That's what you are hiring a professional for. 

Ask us about the suitability of an annuity for your situation.