Which Annuity is Right for You?

Which Annuity is Right for You?

It's a crazy world out there, with a lot of conflicting financial information.  To make the best decision, it's important to get educated about the different types of annuities and how they work.

Fixed Annuities

If you’re like many people, you worry about whether you’ll have enough money to last your retirement. Fixed annuities create a guaranteed stream of income you can’t outlive. You can establish income for your lifetime.

The key to financial security in retirement is having enough money to cover your expenses — and having confidence it will last your lifetime. When you add a fixed-income annuity to your retirement strategy, you can gain confidence and security.

Lifelong Income

Only an annuity can guarantee a lifetime of income you can’t outlive. Did you know you can also cover your spouse and have income for their lifetime too? What would you do with guaranteed lifetime income?


Predictability

Fixed annuities give the same amount of income on each payout, like a self-created pension. This predictability allows you to have peace of mind knowing when and how much income to expect and can help increase your budget for expenses.


No market risk

Retirement funds usually are associated with the stock market in some capacity. Fixed annuities have no link to the stock or housing market, so you don’t have to worry about income distributions (realizing losses) in down market years.


Income taxes

If you are funding your annuity with pretax money from a 401(k), IRA, or tax-sheltered money (qualified money), all of your payouts are taxed. If you are funding your income annuity with your after-tax money from a bank account or non-tax sheltered money (non-qualified money), you owe ordinary income taxes only on the earnings in each payout. 

Once you have received your entire initial premium back in payouts, all additional income payouts become taxable at your ordinary income tax rate.

Indexed Annuities

Throughout your working life, you've focused on saving money for retirement. Now, you're also thinking about how to spend it.  In an Indexed Annuity, when the market is expanding, you can accumulate money tax-deferred.

If there's a downturn, you're protected from market loss. When you’re ready to take income, an Income Rider gives you the ability to create a guaranteed “paycheck” to carry you through your retirement years.

Guaranteed Income

An optional Income Rider is available that allows you to create a  guaranteed stream of income that can last as long as your retirement. The amount you receive can increase the longer you wait to start income payments.


Growth Potential

Pursue additional growth with Interest Credits that are based in part on the performance of an external market index.

Protection from downside market risk

Your money is not directly exposed to the risks of the stock market or individual stocks.


Tax deferral

Annuities provide the advantage of tax-deferred interest accumulation. You don’t pay taxes on any growth until you withdraw money.

Immediate Annuities

Single Premium Immediate Annuities (SPIA) create a guaranteed income for you immediately. This stream of income you can’t outlive. You can establish immediate income guaranteed for your lifetime.

A Single Premium Immediate Annuity (SPIA) allows you to put a lump sum of money into a contract and immediately give yourself an income you can’t outlive, guaranteed.

You can choose monthly, quarterly or annual income that allows you to have control over how often you receive the SPIA payout.

Guaranteed income

In exchange for a  single purchase payment, you receive a stream of guaranteed income that begins immediately (up to 12 months 

after the date your contract is issued).  You can receive guaranteed income for life, for a specific length of time, or a combination of both, depending on the annuity option you choose.

Predictability

An SPIA provides a  reliable source of income that is not affected by

fluctuations in the stock market. At the

time you purchase a  contract, you know how much income you will receive.

 

Tax efficiency

If you’ve already paid  taxes on the money used to purchase your annuity contract, a portion of each annuity payment will be tax-free, until the total amount of income you’ve 

received equals the amount of your single purchase payment.


Flexibility

An SPIA offers you a  certain amount of flexibility, including the ability to add an inflation protection rider that can automatically increase income payments by your choice of one, two, three, or four percent annually.

You can also adjust for a period certain which means you can decrease or increase the period of time you will receive income payments. And you can select an annuity option that includes beneficiary protection for a spouse or loved one that can protect your designated beneficiary in the event of your death.

Fixed Annuities

If you’re like many people, you worry about whether you’ll have enough money to last your retirement. Fixed annuities create a guaranteed stream of income you can’t outlive. You can establish income for your lifetime.

The key to financial security in retirement is having enough money to cover your expenses — and having confidence it will last your lifetime. When you add a fixed-income annuity to your retirement strategy, you can gain confidence and security.

Lifelong Income

Only an annuity can guarantee a lifetime of income you can’t outlive. Did you know you can also cover your spouse and have income for their lifetime too? What would you do with guaranteed lifetime income?


Predictability

Fixed annuities give the same amount of income on each payout, like a self-created pension. This  predictability allows you to have peace of mind knowing when and how much income to expect and can help increase your budget for expenses.


No market risk

Retirement funds usually are associated with the stock market in some capacity. Fixed annuities have no link to the stock or housing market, so you don’t have to worry about income distributions (realizing losses) in down market years.


Income taxes

If you are funding your annuity with pretax money from a 401(k), IRA, or tax-sheltered money (qualified money), all of your payouts are taxed. If you are funding your income annuity with your after-tax money from a bank account or non-tax sheltered money (non-qualified money), you owe ordinary income taxes only on the earnings in each payout. 

Once you have received your entire initial premium back in payouts, all additional income payouts become taxable at your ordinary income tax rate.

Indexed Annuities

Throughout your working life, you've focused on saving money for retirement. Now, you're also thinking about how to spend it.  In an Indexed Annuity, when the market is expanding, you can accumulate money tax-deferred.

If there's a downturn, you're protected from market loss. When you’re ready to take income, an Income Rider gives you the ability to create a guaranteed “paycheck” to carry you through your retirement years.

Guaranteed Income

An optional Income Rider is available that allows you to create a  guaranteed stream of income that can last as long as your retirement. The amount you receive can increase the longer you wait to start income payments.


Growth Potential

Pursue additional growth with Interest Credits that are based in part on the performance of an external market index.

Protection from downside market risk

Your money is not directly exposed to the risks of the stock market or individual stocks.


Tax deferral

Annuities provide the advantage of tax-deferred interest accumulation. You don’t pay taxes on any growth until you withdraw money.

Immediate Annuities

Single Premium Immediate Annuities (SPIA) create a guaranteed income for you immediately. This stream of income you can’t outlive. You can establish immediate income guaranteed for your lifetime.

A Single Premium Immediate Annuity (SPIA) allows you to put a lump sum of money into a contract and immediately give yourself an income you can’t outlive, guaranteed.

You can choose monthly, quarterly or annual income that allows you to have control over how often you receive the SPIA payout.

Guaranteed income

In exchange for a  single purchase payment, you receive a stream of guaranteed income that begins immediately (up to 12 months after the date your contract is issued).  You can receive guaranteed income for life, for a specific length of time, or a  combination of both, depending on the annuity option you choose.

Predictability

A SPIA provides a  reliable source of income that is not affected by fluctuations in the stock market. At the time you purchase a contract, you know how much income you will receive.

 

Tax efficiency

If you’ve already paid  taxes on the money used to purchase your annuity contract, a portion of each annuity payment will be tax-free, until the total amount of income you’ve 

received equals the amount of your single purchase payment.


Flexibility

An SPIA offers you a  certain amount of flexibility, including the ability to add an inflation protection rider that can automatically increase income payments by your choice of one, two, three, or four percent annually.

You can also adjust for a period certain which means you can decrease or increase the 

period of time you will receive income payments. And you can select an annuity option that includes beneficiary protection for a spouse or loved one that can protect your 

designated beneficiary in the event of your death.

5 Ways an Annuity Could Work for You:

1) Self-Created Pension

A pension is a type of retirement plan offered by companies that provide retired employees with a lifetime income on an ongoing basis. Today, many companies are not offering pensions and only annuities can guarantee lifetime income.


 2) Supplement to Social Security

Living on Social Security alone is difficult. Using your fixed annuity, you can choose to receive income payouts annually, quarterly, or monthly to help supplement your Social Security check. This can provide a stronger reliable income.


3) Inflation protection

Worried about future inflation when purchasing an annuity? If you have the income payment increase rider, your payouts increase every year based on the percentage you select when you apply for your fixed annuity or indexed annuity. 

4) Increased income over other investments

An annuity may allow for a higher withdrawal rate than you can take from an investment portfolio if longevity runs in your family. SPIA and FDIA payouts are guaranteed and calculated based on the amount contributed and the average mortality rate (the percentage of people who die each year and at what age). The annual payout of an SPIA and FDIA is usually between 5 and 7 percent of your premium. Can you take 5 to 7 percent out of your investment portfolio each year and know it will last your lifetime?


5) Buffer to the investment portfolio

Acknowledging that traditional investments like stocks, bonds, and mutual funds have good years and bad years due to the market’s fluctuation, a fixed annuity can be used to complement your other investments. By placing some money into the fixed annuity, in a down market year you can minimize some market losses if you know you will get guaranteed income from a fixed annuity or indexed annuity.

5 Ways an Annuity Could Work for You:

1) Self-Created Pension —

A pension is a type of retirement plan offered by companies that provide retired employees a lifetime income on an ongoing basis. Today, many companies are not offering pensions and only annuities can guarantee lifetime income.


 2) Supplement to Social Security

Living on Social Security alone is difficult. Using your fixed annuity, you can choose to receive income payouts annually, quarterly, or monthly to help supplement your Social Security check. This can provide a stronger reliable income.


3) Inflation protection

Worried about future inflation when purchasing an annuity? If you have the income payment increase rider, your payouts increase every year based on the percentage you select when you apply for your fixed annuity or indexed annuity. 



4) Increased income over other investments —

An annuity may allow for a higher withdrawal rate than you can take from an investment portfolio if longevity runs in your family. SPIA and FDIA payouts are guaranteed and calculated based on the amount contributed and the average mortality rate (the percentage of people who die each year and at what age). The annual payout of an SPIA and FDIA is usually between 5 and 7 percent of your premium. Can you take 5 to 7 percent out of your investment portfolio each year and know it will last your lifetime?


5) Buffer to investment portfolio

Acknowledging that traditional investments

like stocks, bonds, and mutual funds have good years and bad years due to the market’s fluctuation, a fixed annuity can be used to complement your other investments. By placing some money into the fixed annuity, in a down market year you can minimize some market losses if you know you will get guaranteed income from a fixed annuity or indexed annuity.

ANNUITIES PROVIDE ASSURANCE AGAINST THE RISK THAT YOU'LL OUTLIVE YOUR MONEY AFTER YOU RETIRE.

THEY GIVE YOU THE POTENTIAL TO GROW YOUR SAVINGS AND CREATE A GUARANTEED INCOME STREAM TO LAST A LIFETIME.

ANNUITIES TO AVOID AND NOT BUY

Avoid annuities with high and/or hidden fees and that  are tied to the stock market where you could lose money, such as Variable Annuities (VA's). Most of these VA's are tied to the stock market and will go up and down in value with no guarantees on performance. Avoid annuities that don't provide guarantees.

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* Private Equity Banking , dba " The Martineau Agency " working in conjunction with The Insurance Team, educates clients on the benefits and utilization of cash value insurance, annuities, and asset-based long-term care products. These products, structured correctly, will add greater protection and peace of mind to your life and financial plan. Learn all you can about the living benefits of these financial products to enhance your financial assets and future outcomes in order to live a more abundant life. The Martineau Agency, LLC does got give tax or legal advice and recommends that all clients talk with a CPA or tax attorney for legal and/or tax advice

Company

Resources

Books

See Us & Share Us

* Private Equity Banking , dba " The Martineau Agency LLC" working in conjunction with The Insurance Team, educates clients on the benefits and utilization of cash value insurance, annuities, and asset-based long-term care products. These products, structured correctly, will add greater protection and peace of mind to your life and financial plan. Learn all you can about the living benefits of these financial products to enhance your financial assets and future outcomes in order to live a more abundant life. The Martineau Agency, LLC does got give tax or legal advice and recommends that all clients talk with a CPA or tax attorney for legal and/or tax advice