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Annuities

Annuities – what they are, how they work and how to choose the best type of Annuity

Found 146 Articles.
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how-to-ensure-inflation-protected-lifetime-income

How to Ensure Inflation Protected Lifetime Income with Annuities

May 1, 2007

As the Baby Boomers age, financial services firms are interested in meeting their needs. One need is for guaranteed lifetime income that replaces old-style defined benefit plans. Another need is for that income to retain its purchasing power over the years. Some investment advisors used to say that owning stocks for the long term met […]

how-annuities-can-extend-a-portfolio

How Annuities Can Extend a Portfolio

March 1, 2007

Annuities received a bad name over the last few decades, with some help from this newsletter. But there are different types of annuities, and they are not all bad investments. For example, the greatest fear of most retirees is outliving their portfolios. The right kind of annuity can reduce the probability of running out of […]

how-to-build-your-own-equity-indexed-annuity

How to Build Your Own Equity-Indexed Annuity

January 1, 2007

Equity-indexed annuities and other “structured products” have been hot sellers the last few years. Unfortunately, few people who buy or sell them really understand these investments. The investors are surprised that the returns are not as high as expected. The basic pitch of structured investments is a guaranteed return of at least the initial investment […]

private-annuity-trusts-new-rules

Private Annuity Trusts: New Rules

December 1, 2006

Just as last month’s discussion of private annuity trusts was mailed, the government issued proposed regulations restricting the strategy. Though intended to stop transactions considered by the IRS to be abusive of the tax law, the regulations go further and make private annuity trusts generally unattractive. Recall from last month’s discussion that a private annuity […]

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income-security-in-retirement

Annuities – How Not to Run Out of Income in Retirement

March 1, 2006

Running out of income is the biggest fear of most retirees. Annuities often are the best way to avoiding running out of income. Yet, few people take advantage of this opportunity, and many who do buy annuities make the wrong decisions. That is because annuities are complicated, and commissions can give sales people the wrong […]

inflation-protected-never-ending-lifetime-income

Inflation-Protected Never-Ending Lifetime Income with Annuities

November 1, 2005

Retirement planning boils down to solving two problems: providing an income for life, and ensuring that income retains its purchasing power. Running out of money and watching the purchasing power of one’s income erode are two of the greatest retirement fears. Financial services companies constantly are developing products and strategies to alleviate these fears. As […]

how-to-maximize-returns-in-equity-annuities

How to Maximize Returns in Equity Annuities

July 1, 2005

Investment dollars are pouring into equity index annuities. These annuities come close to producing what retirees and near-retirees want and need: guaranteed income with safety of principal and inflation protection. We covered EIAs in past visits. They are a hybrid of fixed annuities and variable annuities. An investor pays a premium to the insurer to […]

analyzing-the-new-annuities

Analyzing the New Annuities

June 1, 2005

Few investors right now are buying the old-fashioned annuities. But as they shift from their accumulation years to their distribution years, many investors want some key features of annuities: tax deferral, guaranteed income, and income that cannot be outlived. Insurers are responding with an array of new features. Some are worth considering; others are the […]

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