Annuities

An annuity is an investment contract issued by an insurance company, designed to help you save money for retirement.  It’s also intended to provide income during retirement if you make withdrawals or annuitize your contract.

There are three types of annuities:

Fixed
Variable
Immediate

When you invest in an annuity, you are not limited in the amount you can invest.

How a Fixed Annuity Works

Fixed annuities are designed for retirement by allowing the tax-deferred money to accumulate.  When you invest in a fixed annuity you pay a lump sum to an insurance company.  The insurance company then guarantees a stated rate of interest over a specific period of time.  You may choose to accumulate the interest on a tax-deferred basis, meaning you pay no taxes on the interest until you withdraw it, or take it as income.

How a Variable Annuity Works

A variable annuity is an investment contract designed to help you reach long-term financial goals, such as retirement.  Issued by an insurance company, a variable annuity allows you to invest tax-deferred and includes an option to turn your assets into income you can’t outlive.  Variable annuities enable individuals to invest in professionally managed sub-accounts.  Sub-accounts offer a diversified range of investment objects, and each sub-account invests in a diversified portfolio of securities.  A sub-account is separate from the general assets of the insurance company.

How an Immediate Annuity Works

An immediate fixed annuity is a contract between you and an insurance company.  You give the insurance company a lump sum in exchange for a fixed payment amount over a certain period of time or for life.  This means you can receive predictable income payments for life, regardless of how long you live or how the market performs.  As a result these predictable payments can be a good source of retirement income to help cover some of your necessary expenses.