Annuities: Expert Guides and Resources

Assess your personal situation and follow some basic guidelines for determining if an annuity is right for you. After you decide to buy an annuity, figure out how to shop for annuity contracts and how to use one to make your retirement years financially safer.Tips for deciding on an annuityIf you’re considering an annuity, take a serious look at your personal situation.

The single-year guarantee fixed annuity is like an adjustable rate mortgage in reverse. With this annuity, the insurance company promises to pay you a certain rate of interest for one year. But each year until the contract expires, the insurance company can raise or (more commonly) reduce that interest rate. The new rates are called renewal rates.

Although fixed deferred annuities are a relatively safe investment, there are also reasons why people tend to shy away from them. They include the following: Low liquidity: Generally, if you take more than 10 percent of your money out of your fixed annuity during any single year of the surrender period, you pay a charge.

Fixed deferred annuities offer safe, but low, returns and tax deferral. Risk-averse investors buy them when they offer higher interest rates than CDs, when the stock market is declining or appears headed for a fall, and when they’ve already parked as much money as possible into other savings vehicles, like employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Although insurance companies usually assume your interest-rate risk when you buy a fixed annuity, that’s not always the case. With a market value-adjusted (MVA) fixed annuity, you assume the interest-rate risk. In return, the insurance company can afford to pay you a slightly higher interest rate than it pays on non-MVA annuities (book value annuities).

A fixed deferred annuity is the insurance industry’s version of a savings account. The annuity helps you earn a modest rate of interest safely, and allows you to postpone the payment of income taxes on your earnings for as long as you want.When you buy a fixed deferred annuity, you’re indirectly lending money — without taking the risk that the borrower won’t pay you back.

Annuities are complex but useful financial tools. Be aware of the latest annuity trends when you are buying and make sure you stay aware so your annuity continues to benefit you in the best way possible. The following checklist shows important reminders for you to track annuities: Recognize that the annuity world changes.

If you've made the decision to look for an annuity contract, keep this list on hand and cover every option it gives, so you can be confident you're staying on top of the annuities game. Find an annuity-savvy adviser. Income annuities aren't yet widely used, so not many advisers or brokers understand them. Try to locate a professional who does.

If you're considering an annuity, take a serious look at your personal situation. Examine the following points when shopping for an annuity to see what type best fits your needs or if you should even get an annuity: Assess your needs. After you estimate your living expenses in retirement and identify all sources of income, you'll know whether you'll need an income annuity.