What Kinds of Annuities Are There?

Many that are retiring in the near future may want to look into adding additional support to their income. Supplementing a retirement cash stream is a common investment strategy for retirement. An annuity is a good fit for those that are maxing out their traditional accounts, such as a 401(k) or a Roth Here are the many different varieties of annuity products: fixed, variable, indexed, immediate, and deferred. In this article, we will go over these kinds of annuities so that it may help you see if there might be one that could help you in your retirement.

For those that do not know: an annuity is an investment contract with an insurance company. The customer can purchase an annuity by investing an upfront amount of funds for a steady stream of disbursements from the insurance company during an agreed amount of time. These disbursements start when the customer decides to annuitize their annuity. The investor decides the amount received and the regularity of their disbursements. They also get to choose whether they want a lump sum paid out once or periodic payouts. But this will also be dependent on the kind of annuity that is selected.

Annuities can generate interest as well, but the percentage varies on the kind of annuity you have and what the market is like. An appealing incentive to these products is that the interest growth is generally not liable to tax. However, you are liable to income tax on the annuitization payments. If you end up cashing out the money before the minimum age of 59 a half, you will be facing a 10 percent penalty in taxes.

Some use annuities as a strategy to ensure that they don’t outlive their retirement savings as it is an excellent way to add to your retirement cash stream. But that relies on the kind of annuity you have and the lifespan of the annuity disbursements.

Here are the types of annuities you can expect:

Fixed Annuities. A fixed annuity will provide a guaranteed interest for the customer for a period of years. This product is not based on market performance. Fixed annuities are one of the most popular and relatively simple types of annuities.

Essentially, the investor puts in money to invest with the insurance company of their choosing. The insurance company then agrees to pay a fixed percentage of interest as a return of investment for a predefined period of time.

If you select this type of annuity, how you get payments for what you earn can be during a set time period, a single lump sum cashout, or during your lifespan. The second option is why a fixed annuity is quite common among retirees.

Variable Annuities. A buyer invests in a variable annuity but does not obtain a secured rate of interest for a specified duration of time. What the investor receives in payouts are performance-based returns. The annuity can vary from bonds, stocks, money market instruments, and will need to comply with various levels of risk. This gives the investment possibility for high earnings, but the opposite can also be said. ⠀Even though there is quite a bit of risk with a variable annuity, there is protection on the principal paid.

Indexed annuities.

An indexed annuity is an annuity agreement that ensures a minimum return rate and depending on how the market performs, there can be a capacity for higher yields. This sort of annuity is generally focused on indexes like the S&P 500. However, it can also dip into other indexes, depending on the choice of the buyer. This annuity is also known as a fixed index annuity as it mixes elements of a variable annuity and a fixed annuity.

Indexed annuities can gain higher yields for buyers. Overall earnings, though, can be restricted by rate caps that limit the payment amount that an investor can claim over a certain period of time. This sort of annuity also has a minimum return percentage, usually around 2%. While these indexed annuity arrangements may be more unpredictable, the principal is still assured as long as you do not cash out the principal.

Immediate Annuities. For those with a large quantity of funds available, immediate annuities may be a great choice. An investor with a big lump sum deposit enters into an immediate annuity which allows them to receive steady disbursements through an agreed amount of time or throughout their lifespan. As the name implies, payments start instantly, and the buyer may choose to receive a rate of interest that is fixed or variable.

So why would you commit such a large quantity of money into an annuity? An annuity helps grow your tax-deference. It also offers a constant source of revenue for a fixed duration and reduces any concerns and discomfort about handling large quantities of cash.

Deferred Annuities

Deferred annuities will only disburse payouts once the principal that was invested has accumulated interest. It can be said that it is the exact opposite of an immediate annuity.

For this type of annuity, there are two phases: investment and income. The first stage starts with an investor purchasing the annuity and finishes with the last contribution paid. You can choose to invest with one payment or make payments into the annuity over a period of time. The next phase is the income stage. This is when you can get paid with either one payment or throughout an agreed amount of time.

The other annuities we have talked about, such as fixed, variable, and indexed annuities can also be deferred.

There are many significant differences between all the types of annuities that are out there. Before choosing which sort of annuity to buy into, it is essential to research what is best for you and your situation. All in all, it is highly recommended by many financial experts that it is usually best to only invest in an annuity If you have been maxing out your other retirement savings accounts and if you have a lot of cash saved up, that having a pat of it tied up will not be hard on you as annuities are illiquid. Also keep in mind that your investment’s performance typically relies on the insurance company’s financial performance.