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Stan The Annuity Man |
August 15, 2013 |
Ask Stan The Annuity Man, Deferred Annuities, Fixed Annuities, Immediate Annuities, Index Annuities, Member Posts, Variable Annuities
Question: Who regulates and oversee annuities? Is it at the state level or at the federal level? Bart from Santa Barbara, California Answer: Great question Bart, but as usual with annuities, the answer is a little complex. Annuities are regulated at the state level, and each state has a guarantee fund that backs up policies to a certain dollar amount. To find out the specific levels for your state, go to www.nolhga.com. There’s no uniformity in coverage, and every state has different dollar protection limitations. ...
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Stan The Annuity Man |
August 14, 2013 |
Annuity Guys, Annuity Videos, Fixed Annuities, Member Posts, Variable Annuities
Written By: The Annuity Guys Are you trying to figure out which annuity will offer the best way to grow your money safely and generate income that you can count on as long as retirement lasts (without depleting your initial principal)? There are hundreds of insurance companies offering thousands of annuities – but how do you know what the best annuity is for you? It really is pretty simple. The best annuity is an annuity the helps to fulfill your specific financial objectives. However, don’t be surprised if your...
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Stan The Annuity Man |
July 31, 2013 |
Allen Trimble, Fixed Annuities, Income Riders, Index Annuities, Member Posts, Variable Annuities
Written By: Allen Trimble in San Antonio, TX Annuities are often touted by insurance agents as the “be all, end all” investment. Want to grow your money? Great! You can invest in the stock and bond markets or even various alternative asset classes, through variable annuities, if you are willing to take risks for higher potential growth. Don’t want to risk losing money in the markets, but not happy with CD rates? No problem. You can generally earn higher interest in a fixed-rate annuity, plus...
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Stan The Annuity Man |
July 25, 2013 |
Ask Stan The Annuity Man, Fixed Annuities, Index Annuities, Member Posts, Variable Annuities
Question: Should I consider an annuity for pure market growth? Can I get all of the upside with no downside like I hear on local radio ads? Mary from San Diego, CA. Answer: Mary, this is a home run when it comes to questions! A common myth that is promoted by too many annuity agents is that annuities are growth products. Let me say, unequivocally, that they are not! Annuities should never be considered for pure market growth. By the way, most agents will violently...
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Stan The Annuity Man |
July 18, 2013 |
Annuity Fees, Ask Stan The Annuity Man, Deferred Annuities, Fixed Annuities, Immediate Annuities, Index Annuities, Longevity Annuities, Member Posts, SPIA, Surrender Charges, Variable Annuities
Question: Can I buy annuities with no fees or surrender charges? Are there no load annuities like no load mutual funds? Ron in Roanoke, Virginia. Answer: Phenomenal question Ron! The annuity industry is very late to the party when it comes to “no load” type offerings that are common in the mutual fund industry. No load can mean a few things. It can refer to no fees for buying a strategy, no fees to keep the strategy, and no fees to sell the strategy. Let’s...
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Stan The Annuity Man |
June 5, 2013 |
Fixed Annuities, Member Posts, Retirement Planning, Variable Annuities
Written By: Bruce Hearon | Hearon Advisory Group As a Florida-registered investment advisor and insurance agent for the past twenty years, I have been asked this question countless times…what’s the difference between a fixed and variable annuity? My answer is consistently the same…there’s a huge difference between the two! Although both are contracts held with an insurance company, have the word “annuity,” and have the same tax advantages, they are quite different. In a variable annuity you decide the investment strategy by placing your funds...
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Stan The Annuity Man |
November 19, 2012 |
Fixed Annuities, Index Annuities, Variable Annuities
Sales of annuities tumbled in the 3rd quarter of 2012 compared to that of 2011 according to LIMRA. Annuity sales dropped to $54.3 billion from $60.1 billion which is a 10 percent drop. The historically low interest rates are a primary cause for these declined sales. Almost all product types had decreased sales. Only fixed indexed annuities (FIAs) increased as they continue to move towards a record year. FIA sales actually increased by 6% to reach a quarterly total of $25.4 billion. LIMRA noted that...
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Stan The Annuity Man |
November 7, 2012 |
Variable Annuities
According to Morningstar U.S.A., providers of variable annuities unveiled more than double the amount of product changes in Q3 of 2012 compared to Q3 of 2011. In the third quarter of 2012, a whopping 106 product changes were released. This is a 165% increase compared to the 40 changes introduced in the third quarter of 2011. Their report states that “activity this quarter was brisk” and alludes to a definite mix of strategies among the various providers. Given this fluid environment with frequent product changes,...
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Stan The Annuity Man |
August 21, 2012 |
Fixed Annuities, Variable Annuities
According to LIMRA’s second quarter 2012 survey, variable annuity (VA) sales in the second quarter of 2012 declined 5% compared to the same quarter of 2011. Total VA sales in Q2 of 2012 were $38.6 billion, which is a 5% increase to what was realized in Q1 of 2012. This survey found that total fixed annuity sales also dropped in the second quarter of 2012 compared to the same quarter of 2011. These products had a sharper drop down to $18.4 billion which amounts to...
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Stan The Annuity Man |
August 16, 2012 |
Fixed Annuities, Index Annuities, Variable Annuities
A recent survey found that almost 9 out of 10 buyers of traditional fixed annuities are happy with their purchase. In late 2011, LIMRA surveyed 1,200 individuals 40 years of age and over who had purchased an annuity within the past three years. They found that 86% of traditional fixed annuity buyers remained satisfied with their purchase. Also, they found that high satisfaction rates from buyers of indexed annuities (83%) and variable annuities (75%). The study revealed that the most popular reason these individuals gave...
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