Fixed Annuity Insurance - Things to Consider When Choosing the Best Annuity
Most people have heard of fixed annuities. Often they won't try them because they're afraid they'll lose money. Their fear stems from lack of information on a fixed annuity. A fixed annuity is very similar to a CD at a bank but has additional features that make it far more attractive. Just like a bank, you have guarantees on interest rates.
Fixed annuities are also called immediate or deferred annuities. The difference lies in how you use the product. A person that wants a deferred annuity uses it more like a CD. They don't take payments from it. The immediate annuity converts to payments over a specific number of years, for a specific amount or payments that you'll never outlive. Some people like a guarantee that their heirs get any unused principal. That's available too.
The tax-deferred interest is a real plus for those saving for retirement, but as with any benefit has negatives also. If you put the money into a deferred fixed annuity and suddenly realize that you need funds, you have a ten percent penalty to pay on the growth you remove if you're not yet 59 . The tax laws do allow you to take substantial periodic payments penalty-free. The payments must last until you're 59 or at least for 5 years.
Just like a CD, you have a penalty if you remove the money before a specified time. Like most CD's, fixed annuities allow you to take interest at any time but there's a percentage penalty if you take the initial deposit. The penalty is normally on a sliding scale that reduces as the contract gets older. It varies, but normally averages between four and or five percent. While the length of the surrender period varies, again the average is around seven years. Watch out for contracts that have a lifetime surrender charge unless you annuitize.
Today many companies offer exemptions from the surrender charge if you only want interest, just like a bank CD, but also allow you to invade the principal for amounts up to ten percent each year. This makes it superior to a CD. If you find yourself in an emergency, you'll have access to funds without any penalty. It allows you to keep less money in a passbook savings for emergency use.
Even though you may allow your CD to roll over, you still have to pay taxes on any interest you earned. This isn't true for an annuity. As long as you don't remove the money from the contract, you don't have to pay taxes on the interest. Even if you want to take some of the principal and leave the interest in the contract, the IRS looks differently at your distribution. Annuity tax laws use LIFO rules. That means, last in, first out. Interest is always the last thing into the contract so the IRS considers the initial money you take as interest until you reach the amount you originally invested.
Immediate annuities have different tax rules. If you use the fixed annuity as a deferred annuity and then annuitize it later, it follows these rules also. Part of the payment each year is principal and part of it is interest, according to the IRS regulations.
To calculate the amount you pay in taxes each year you use an exclusion ratio. The exclusion ration is how much you exclude from that contract's income. To find it, you need to know three things; your life expectancy, your payment and the amount you invested. You simply multiply your payment times the number of years for life expectancy. If you receive $800 a month and have a life expectancy of 22 years, you'll get approximately $211,200 over the lifetime of payments if you collect in full. If your initial investment was $100,000, you divide that number by 211,200 and get an exclusion rate of 47 percent. In this case, you'd only pay taxes on 53 percent of your annual income from the fixed annuity.
People often select fixed annuities because they either love the idea that they'll never outlive their money, find it a useful tax-planning tool or simply like the high rate and ease of use. Many financial planners suggest that individuals divide their funds into several different vehicles for higher returns and a safer investment strategy. Often seniors fin that a fixed annuity is a great way of establishing a base income in addition to social security or their pension. They know they'll never run out of money, have a higher payment than an interest payment and can allow other funds to grow at higher rates of return. - 23305
Fixed annuities are also called immediate or deferred annuities. The difference lies in how you use the product. A person that wants a deferred annuity uses it more like a CD. They don't take payments from it. The immediate annuity converts to payments over a specific number of years, for a specific amount or payments that you'll never outlive. Some people like a guarantee that their heirs get any unused principal. That's available too.
The tax-deferred interest is a real plus for those saving for retirement, but as with any benefit has negatives also. If you put the money into a deferred fixed annuity and suddenly realize that you need funds, you have a ten percent penalty to pay on the growth you remove if you're not yet 59 . The tax laws do allow you to take substantial periodic payments penalty-free. The payments must last until you're 59 or at least for 5 years.
Just like a CD, you have a penalty if you remove the money before a specified time. Like most CD's, fixed annuities allow you to take interest at any time but there's a percentage penalty if you take the initial deposit. The penalty is normally on a sliding scale that reduces as the contract gets older. It varies, but normally averages between four and or five percent. While the length of the surrender period varies, again the average is around seven years. Watch out for contracts that have a lifetime surrender charge unless you annuitize.
Today many companies offer exemptions from the surrender charge if you only want interest, just like a bank CD, but also allow you to invade the principal for amounts up to ten percent each year. This makes it superior to a CD. If you find yourself in an emergency, you'll have access to funds without any penalty. It allows you to keep less money in a passbook savings for emergency use.
Even though you may allow your CD to roll over, you still have to pay taxes on any interest you earned. This isn't true for an annuity. As long as you don't remove the money from the contract, you don't have to pay taxes on the interest. Even if you want to take some of the principal and leave the interest in the contract, the IRS looks differently at your distribution. Annuity tax laws use LIFO rules. That means, last in, first out. Interest is always the last thing into the contract so the IRS considers the initial money you take as interest until you reach the amount you originally invested.
Immediate annuities have different tax rules. If you use the fixed annuity as a deferred annuity and then annuitize it later, it follows these rules also. Part of the payment each year is principal and part of it is interest, according to the IRS regulations.
To calculate the amount you pay in taxes each year you use an exclusion ratio. The exclusion ration is how much you exclude from that contract's income. To find it, you need to know three things; your life expectancy, your payment and the amount you invested. You simply multiply your payment times the number of years for life expectancy. If you receive $800 a month and have a life expectancy of 22 years, you'll get approximately $211,200 over the lifetime of payments if you collect in full. If your initial investment was $100,000, you divide that number by 211,200 and get an exclusion rate of 47 percent. In this case, you'd only pay taxes on 53 percent of your annual income from the fixed annuity.
People often select fixed annuities because they either love the idea that they'll never outlive their money, find it a useful tax-planning tool or simply like the high rate and ease of use. Many financial planners suggest that individuals divide their funds into several different vehicles for higher returns and a safer investment strategy. Often seniors fin that a fixed annuity is a great way of establishing a base income in addition to social security or their pension. They know they'll never run out of money, have a higher payment than an interest payment and can allow other funds to grow at higher rates of return. - 23305
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John C. Ryan disperses his knowledge on how to find the best annuity for you. Want to learn more?? Come see us, for more advice on fixed annuities .
posted by Mr. Forex at
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