Annuities

A variable annuity is a tax-deferred retirement vehicle that lets you choose from a variety of investments and then pays you a fixed amount of money in retirement based on the performance of those investments. A fixed annuity, on the other hand, offers a guaranteed payout. What’s wrong with variable annuities? Before you go out […]

A variable annuity is a hybrid product that combines investment and insurance. You invest in mutual-fund-like accounts, and earnings are tax-deferred until you remove the funds. Withdrawals, like distributions from regular IRAs, are taxed as ordinary income rather than at lower capital-gains tax rates. Is a variable annuity the same as an IRA? The most

An annuitant is a person who has the right to receive regular payments from a pension or annuity investment. The contract holder or another individual, such as a surviving spouse, can be the annuitant. Annuities are commonly thought of as income enhancements for retirees. They could be linked to a pension scheme for employees or

According to the Social Security Administration, a guy turning 65 today can expect to live until he is 84 years old. The average age of a woman is 86.6. About a third of today’s 65-year-olds will live to reach 90, with about one in seven living to be 95. Annuities entail signing a contract with

An annuity is a financial product sold by insurance firms that guarantees a consistent income stream in retirement. Investors make a one-time or a series of one-time payments, and the annuity returns a fixed amount to them in regular dividends, either immediately or later. These distributions can be used to cover recurring or critical costs.

The Annuity Commencement Date is the date on which annuity payments will start. At the time of application, the Contract Owner usually specifies the Annuity Commencement Date. What happens if the annuitant dies before the annuity start date? An annuity contract usually states that if the annuitant dies before the commencement date of the annuity,

The exclusion ratio simply refers to the percentage of an investor’s return that is tax-free. The exclusion ratio is a percentage based on the return on an original investment in dollars. Any profit that exceeds the exclusion ratio is taxed, such as capital gains tax. The exclusion ratio usually applies to non-qualified annuities. What is

To help defined benefit pension schemes reach their de-risking goals, Scottish Widows offers custom bulk annuity options. A bulk annuity is an insurance policy purchased by pension scheme trustees to better secure members’ benefits by eliminating longevity, investment, interest rate, and inflation risks associated with defined benefit pension schemes, either as a scheme asset (a

The calculation of the investment return credited to your account is one aspect of indexed annuities that is sometimes misunderstood. It’s crucial to understand how the index is tracked, as well as how much of the index return is credited to you, in order to figure out how the insurance company calculates the return. Tracking

When an annuitant dies before collecting the premiums they paid, a cash refund annuity is repaid to the beneficiary. Payments to the beneficiary may continue or cease when the annuitant dies, depending on the type of annuity. Do you get your money back with an annuity? In the end, annuities should only be a small