Annuity Basics Archives - Page 8 of 16 - Annuity 123 : Annuity 123

The Top 5 Pitfalls of Indexed Annuities and How to Avoid Them

Keith L. Collins | February 11, 2014 | Annuity Basics, Fixed Annuities, GMDB, Index Annuities, Surrender Charges

With a multitude of factors involved, indexed-annuity products can be rather complex for many people. While many specialists offer great advice, they rarely tell them about the pitfalls they can face with indexed-annuity products. That is why I intend to educate you with information about the top 5 pitfalls you may face when selecting indexed-annuity products. 1 – Investing in a Single Index As the name suggests, indexed annuity products allow you to link your account to a particular index. More often than not, many...

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I’ll Never Buy an Annuity!

John P. Grimes | February 11, 2014 | Annuity Basics

If I had a dollar for everyone who told me that, I’d be writing this on the beach in Jamaica instead of in my office looking out at the foot of freshly fallen snow. We all know the reasons why consumers don’t buy annuities; you have to give up control of your money, if you die before you spend it the insurance company keeps your money, there are too many hidden fees, the brokers who sell them can’t be trusted and on and on. Fortunately,...

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Fixed Index Annuities – The Power of the Annual Reset

Anton Hendler | February 4, 2014 | Annual Reset, Annuity Basics, Fixed Annuities, Index Annuities

Of all the features of a Fixed Index Annuity (FIA), arguably the one with the greatest value is the annual reset. What this means is that every year on the anniversary of the policy, any gains in the market (based on the strategy which you have chosen and an index such as the S&P 500) will be credited to your policy and then ‘locked in’. So if the market goes down in the next year, not only will you not go down (you will stay...

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What Women REALLY Want

Jennifer Calandra | January 31, 2014 | Annuity Basics, Retirement Planning

I have had hundreds of conversations with women regarding their money. Each has their own story, their own goals and vision for their future. I’ve met with a variety of different women; single women in their early 20’s just beginning to accumulate their wealth, divorcees who are trying to make sense of what just happened and what it now means for them, and widows who are overwhelmed not only with loss, but also with their new role as the captain of their financial ship. When...

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How Do You Know If You Have Enough Money To Retire?

Carl Ostenson | January 24, 2014 | Annuity Basics, Carl Ostenson, Member Posts

That’s a great question people ask themselves all the time. What I’d like to do it re-phrase it into a question that I think gets to the core of the matter with a little more clarity. “Will your Social Security and/or Pension be enough retirement income to pay your bills and have a little fun… OR… will you need more income than that? Because, if Social Security and/or your pension is enough income, then you don’t really have to worry about how much money you...

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Which Is Better For Future Income….Longevity Annuities or Income Riders?

Stan The Annuity Man | January 23, 2014 | Annuity Basics, Ask Stan The Annuity Man, Deferred Annuities, Fixed Annuities, Immediate Annuities, Index Annuities, Longevity Annuities

Question: I’m looking to set up a guaranteed lifetime income stream to start sometime in the future. Which is better, longevity annuities or income riders? from Tom in Portland, Oregon Answer: Excellent “head scratcher” Tom, and this is one of the most important questions currently in the world of annuities. What you are talking about is target date or income later planning. You want to plan a lifetime income stream to turn on in the future, and would like to be able to know to...

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Women And The Need To Know About Retirement Planning

Chris Raup | January 22, 2014 | Annuity Basics

I have no doubt that my wife will outlive me! Now nature may interfere with that but if I was a gambling man (I don’t) I would bet on her! 85% of all widows over age 85 are women compared to only 45% of men*. We are basically outlived 2 to 1! So that makes you wonder why health insurance cost was always higher for females instead of males. Well, it the fact that they actually go to the Doctor and get treated and we...

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Fixed Indexed Annuities: Risk vs. Reward

Anton Hendler | January 16, 2014 | Annuity Basics, Annuity123, Fixed Annuities, Index Annuities, Member Posts

As with any investment, one makes a call based on risk and reward. Fixed Index Annuities continue to offer one of the best trade-offs in the market. However, it is still important that one stays abreast of what is happening in the market and what products are being offered as these change on an ongoing basis in response to the market and what demand is driving the insurance companies to offer. For instance, as interest rates remain low, but the markets showed increases over the...

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Thinking about Buying an Annuity… But Afraid to Tie up Your Money?

John P. Grimes | January 15, 2014 | Annuity Basics, Annuity123, Income Riders, Index Annuities, John Grimes, Member Posts

We’ve all heard the expression ‘have your cake and eat it too’. It’s a pretty simple dilemma; if you have your cake and eat it… then it’s gone. If you don’t eat the cake, you still have it but don’t get to enjoy it. Wouldn’t it be nice to have it both ways? It’s like being rewarded without taking any risk or getting something nice without having to pay for it. So you’ve done some research about fixed indexed annuities and you find there are...

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What Happens At The End Of My Annuity?

Carl Ostenson | January 10, 2014 | Annuity Basics, Annuity123, Carl Ostenson, Fixed Annuities, Index Annuities, Member Posts

Question: What happens at the end of my annuity? Answer: Usually people that ask me this question are typically talking about either a fixed rate annuity or an indexed annuity. So I’ll answer the question with those in mind (ie. a 5 year fixed annuity or a 10 year indexed annuity). So let’s look at each type separately: Note: You will see that the big difference between the two types is Option #1. With indexed annuities you can usually stay with them as long as...

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