Retirement Planning with Fixed Annuities
Will annuities help you build up a retirement income?
These are sold by insurance companies, but contain features of both insurance and savings. They are generally used to save money for a longer term goal or to provide income. Many people use them for retirement, but others find that they are effective ways to build a college education fund or save for a home.
There are two main types of way to build up the cash value, so something can start generating income for retirement.
Immediate – This means that a lump sum is put down to build up the cash value. After that, it starts generating an immediate income for the owner. You would probably want to consider this solution if you had gotten a lump sum distribution from a retirement settlement.
Deferred annuities do not pay out right away. In fact, the owner may have to pay a penalty if he or she takes out cash before the term that is specified in the contract. There may be exceptions for this in the case of a severe illness, etc. Some may be funded with a large payment, or they may accept cash contributions made over a period of years. These are intended for people who are trying to plan for an event that is some time in the future.
Payouts – You can also find a variety of payout options. Some common examples are lifetime, joint survivorship, or 10 years. Their are many combinations of this too. For instance, some may have a lifetime payout with a guaranteed payout of ten years. That means that a beneficiary would collect income if the owner passes away before a decade ends.
You can also find annuities with flexible options, so that the owner does not need to take payments. Some people use this to set aside an emergency fund or leave money for their heirs.
Many people like annuities because of the favorable way that the IRS tax code treats them. They can grow in a tax deferred manner. They may be qualified or unqualified, which will affect the tax treatment of income payments.
Fixed annuities are considered very safe ways to save money too. They may grow at a fixed rate that is spelled out in the original contract, or they may be tied to market indexes.
Consider one common market like the S&P 500. In good years, when the index goes up, the cash account will grow at a rate that is pegged to that market index. In down years, when the index is down, the cash account will be guaranteed not to lose money. It may either be set to remain stable, or even to earn a set rate like 2%.
Now that you understand a little bit about annuities, you probably want to know how long you can get payments for. You probably also want to know how large those payments will be. Of course this depends upon your accumulated cash value, growth rate, and the type of product you have.
