Annuities
Annuities – what they are, how they work and how to choose the best type of Annuity
Found 148 Articles.
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Handling Changes in Variable Annuities
Tax planning is less of a guessing game these days with the tax law settled, at least until Congress decides to push some kind of tax reform. In the wake of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, we need to revise and rethink some strategies about Roth IRAs, especially about converting traditional IRAs to […]
Does Warren Buffett Like Variable Annuities?
Berkshire-Hathaway, Buffett’s investment vehicle, recently entered into a deal with the insurer Cigna to reinsure some variable annuity guarantees of Cigna. No doubt this will be viewed as Buffett entering the annuity, especially the variable annuity, market and be used as a sales tool for variable annuities. Don’t fall for that line. There are a […]
Evaluating Inflation-Adjusted Annuities
A lifetime stream of guaranteed income is a goal for many people. Even better is to have that income stream increase with inflation. You can have a lifetime stream of guaranteed income that increases with inflation. You must study the options, plan, and shop carefully. An immediate annuity is the prime way to receive guaranteed […]
Comparing Bonds to Annuities
Can you build a bond portfolio that does a better job providing secure retirement income than an immediate annuity? Economists and many financial advisors believe some portion of a retiree’s portfolio should be placed in immediate annuities. These are the annuities that pay a regular income for life or the joint life of the owner […]
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Should You Wait to Buy an Annuity?
In the pursuit of guaranteed lifetime income and replacements for employer pensions, many people are looking at annuities. Economists recommend them, and I’ve advised that many people put a portion of their nest eggs into annuities. But, since interest rates are low, annuity payouts are lower than they were a few years ago. Does it […]
The Shrinkage in Variable Annuities
Hartford Financial wants to get out of the annuity business. It wants out of the variable annuity business so badly that recently it offered to buy out the interests of current variable annuity holders. This is part of a trend among insurers to limit or withdraw from their annuity businesses. The problem for insurers is […]
Changing Variable Annuities
Investors flocked to variable annuities after the 2000 market crash. Insurers had enhanced the policies by offering guaranteed minimum rates of return, promising to make up for market losses, and other attractive terms. In the current environment, insurers are having a hard time keeping those promises. Low interest rates, lousy stock market returns, and other […]
Beware of These Annuity Marketing Tricks
Insurance brokers and companies are buzzing about the Glenn Neasham case. He was a California insurance agent who was found guilty in a criminal trial and sentenced to jail for selling an annuity to an elderly woman. The usual penalties for selling an unsuitable annuity are reprimands, fines, and perhaps a loss of license, not […]
