Annuity Guys®

Annuity Rates, Features & Ratings: America's trusted annuity resource. Compare best options for hybrid, index, fixed, variable & immediate annuity quotes.


Helping You Create Great Results Your Retirement Deserves!


(217)753-1515
You are here: Home / Archives for Indexed Annuity

Hybrid Annuity Sales Hit All Time Highs! Do You Know Why?

By

Record numbers of retirees and savers are flocking to fixed and fixed index annuities – why?

For many baby boomers , the great recession is still ingrained into their thoughts as they make plans for their retirement. The thought of losing 30-40% or more of their portfolio in the stock market has sent them out seeking safer growth options; while other baby boomers seek the safeguard of knowing that they will have lifetime **guarantees for their foundational income in retirement.

The insurance industry is on pace to issue $100,000,000,000.00 (that’s one hundred billion dollars) in just fixed and fixed index annuities this year alone! With banks offering safe money rates that hover just over zero, we should not be surprised by the number of people flocking into contractually **guaranteed growth and income options. However, this is most likely not the only reason for this level of annuity sales growth. Annuities have traditionally paid better rates than the banks so the growth of sales should not be based upon higher interest rates alone. [continued below video…]

Video: Annuity Guys, Dick & Eric, discuss why it seems like everyone wants a “hybrid” Fixed Index Annuity!

Guarantees, including optional benefits, are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer, and may contain limitations, including surrender charges, which may affect policy values. During this segment, Dick and Eric are referring to Fixed Annuities unless otherwise specified. 

According to AARP, about 8000 people will turn 65 everyday from now until 2029. These baby boomers have seen one of the greatest bull markets of all time during the eighties and nineties followed by substantial market volatility and more recently a “lost decade” of market gains. They appear to be interested in preserving their wealth and income in retirement and many are willing to give up some of the market’s upside potential to protect against market backslides. There may not be empirical evidence to support the fact that retirees are valuing the **guarantees that annuities offer, but the dollars seem to be speaking loudly that boomers believe that annuities are a good option for retirement planning.

Is now the right time to join the crowd moving a portion of one’s savings into fixed or hybrid fixed index annuities? It depends – do you feel the need to protect retirement dollars from losses resulting from the next big correction in the equities market? Do you want a predictable, stable income stream that you cannot outlive? Do you wish you had your parents company sponsored pension plan? Does the fear of outliving or losing your money keep you up at night? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may want to join the millions of satisfied annuity owners who value the way these financial products secure their retirement.

The inspiration for this weeks entry came from our friends at the Insured Retirement Institute.

IRI Second-Quarter 2014 Annuity Sales Report: Industry-Wide Sales at Highest Level in Three Years

Indexed Annuities Power Fixed Annuity Sales to Five-Year High; Variable Annuity Sales Up from First Quarter

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Insured Retirement Institute (IRI) today announced final second-quarter 2014 sales results for the U.S. annuity industry, based on data reported by Beacon Research and Morningstar, Inc. Reaching the highest mark in three years, industry-wide annuity sales in the second quarter of 2014 rose to $59.9 billion, a 6.8 percent increase from $56.1 billion in the previous quarter and a 9.9 percent increase from $54.5 billion in the second quarter of 2013.

Fixed annuity sales – supported by record fixed indexed annuity sales – increased to $24.3 billion in the second quarter of 2014, according to Beacon Research. This was a 7.6 percent increase from $22.6 billion in the previous quarter and a 41.6 percent increase from $17.1 billion in the second quarter of 2013. Variable annuity total sales reached $35.6 billion in the second quarter of 2014, according to Morningstar. This was a 6.2 percent increase from $33.5 billion in the first quarter of 2014, but a 4.6 percent decline from $37.3 billion in the second quarter of 2013.

“These are the highest industry-wide sales we’ve seen in three years, and on the fixed side of the market, the highest in five years,” said Cathy Weatherford, IRI President and CEO. “We continue to see moderate growth, driven by consumer need for protection and income, in all types of retirement income products, and more robust growth in certain products based on the macroeconomic conditions of the day. For example, the market is currently experiencing a surge in the sale of fixed indexed annuities that – in addition to offering upside potential with downside protection and access to **guaranteed lifetime income – can be used by consumers as an alternative to traditional fixed income investments without the interest rate risk.”

According to Beacon Research, continued growth in fixed annuity sales were largely supported by a surge in fixed indexed annuity sales, which hit a new quarterly record of $12.9 billion in the second quarter of 2014. This represents a 14.8 percent increase from first-quarter 2014 sales of $11.2 billion and a 41.5 percent increase from second-quarter 2013 sales of $9.1 billion. Income annuity sales also rose during the second quarter of 2014, topping $3.39 billion – a 3.2 percent increase from nearly $3.29 billion in the previous quarter and a 32.7 percent jump from $2.56 billion in the second quarter of 2013. For the entire fixed annuity market, there were approximately $12.5 billion in qualified sales and $11.8 billion in non-qualified sales during the second quarter of 2014. [Read More…]

 


 

1035 Exchange – Replacing an Annuity

By

Keeping the taxman at bay may seem next to impossible these days, however with annuities the IRS/Congress blessed us with one strategy to maintain the tax-deferred status when we move from one annuity to another – the 1035 exchange.

Watch as the Annuity Guys® examine the proper use of a 1035 exchange.

[embedit snippet=”video-specialist-button”]

 

**Guarantees, including optional benefits, are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer, and may contain limitations, including surrender charges, which may affect policy values. During this segment, Dick and Eric are referring to Fixed Annuities unless otherwise specified.

Before we proceed any further, we do want to make sure everyone realizes that we are not advocating for exchanges of annuities. Annuities are long term products designed for retirement and replacement of annuities can mean a loss in benefits and potential to incur surrender changes and fees. Consequently, we would recommend working with an annuity specialist who can provide you with specific benefits and shortfalls needed to be considered  prior to exchanging an annuity.

The most common time a 1035 exchange is employed is at the end of the contract term which typically runs concurrently with the surrender period. If the insurance company has reduced the benefits or **guarantees on the annuity, consumers will oftentimes solicit new quotes to see if anything better exists. If they are so fortunate as to find a new annuity with better benefits, the account owner can transfer to the new company without incurring any tax consequence by utilizing a 1035 exchange.

A 1035 exchange is typically completed by filling out the appropriate transfer paperwork with the new carrier.

Lastly, not every transfer qualifies for tax shelter under the 1035 Exchange. You, for the most part must transfer the same insurance product type for the same insurance product type. This means you can swap an annuity for an annuity or life insurance cash value for an annuity but you cannot trade an annuity for a life insurance policy since life insurance is tax free and not just tax deferred like annuities.

 

Should You Exchange Your Variable Annuity?

Courtesy FINRA

If you have a life insurance or annuity contract, you may have been approached to exchange it for a new model, one with better or the latest features. You need to know that even though tax law makes the exchange income tax free and the new contract may sound better for you, you may be losing—not gaining—if you make the exchange.

We are issuing this Alert because we have found investor confusion about variable annuity# exchanges, and we have brought cases where investors were investing in variable annuities# that were not suitable for them.

This Alert will give you information on how to determine if an exchange is right for you, and how you can find out what you need to know to make a smarter decision.

Some Background

You may know that an annuity is a contract between you and an insurance company where the company promises to make periodic payments to you, starting immediately or at some future time. You buy the annuity either with a single payment or a series of payments.

You should also know that annuity contracts come in three flavors: fixed, variable and equity-indexed. Fixed means that the earnings and payout are **guaranteed by the insurance company. Variable means that the amount that will accumulate and be paid will vary with the stock, bond, and money market funds that you chose as investment options. Unlike fixed contracts, variable annuities# are securities registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Sales of variable insurance products are regulated by the SEC and FINRA. Equity-indexed annuities (EIAs) have characteristics of both fixed and variable annuities#. Their return varies more than a fixed annuity, but not as much as a variable annuity#. So EIAs give you more risk (but more potential return) than a fixed annuity but less risk (and less potential return) than a variable annuity#. [Read More from FINRA]

 

How do you Choose the Best in Class Annuity?

By

The latest issue of Barron’s proclaims to know and list the Top 50 Annuities. Being the Annuity Guys® that we are, we quickly located the article and tables to find out if they were right. What criteria would they use to choose the very best. Finally we would have the answer that all of our readers and callers need so desperately.

Unfortunately, their best in class annuities may do more harm than help.

Annuity Guys® – Dick and Eric, evaluate Barron’s Top 50 annuity article and their best in class annuity selections.

**Guarantees, including optional benefits, are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer, and may contain limitations, including surrender charges, which may affect policy values. During this segment, Dick and Eric are referring to Fixed Annuities unless otherwise specified.

Don’t get us wrong, we are grateful that this publication largely dedicated to investing in stocks and bonds or other securities has dedicated some time to cover a financial instrument that should be considered for at least a portion of most retirement portfolios that need safety, income and modest growth. However, consumers hoping to find answers about the top annuities will only know a small part of the story. Their hypothetical examples only apply to a very tiny segment of the annuity buying population.

While we hate sounding like a broken record, you should know that with annuities there is not a “one-size fits all” model. Sure you can use a list like the one found in Barron’s to ask for a comparison, but an expert advisor who specializes in income and retirement planning will be more likely to come up with better annuity choices when your specific scenario is fairly considered.

Here is an excerpt from the Barron’s article that made us shake our heads sideways.

Top 50 Annuities By Karen Hube

The once-dominant variable annuity# is getting a bit of competition from cheaper iterations. These stripped-down products offer some surprising advantages, though.

Armand Baughman, 71, a retired Continental Airlines pilot of Valley View, Texas, has always viewed annuities as too complex, illiquid, and expensive to warrant his consideration. But last year, he socked $200,000 into a tax-deferred variable annuity#, calling it “the best thing since Cracker Jacks.”

What changed? As part of an effort to lift sagging profits after years of challenging market conditions, firms are giving the oft-maligned annuity a makeover: an ultralow-cost, variable annuity# that offers a broad array of alternative investments, including hedge funds, currency funds, managed futures, and other strategies.

Annuity companies are trying to make a comeback after years of struggling to remain financially sound under the cloud of low interest rates and high stock-market volatility. With annuity sales down 8.4% last year, to $211.8 billion, the lowest level since 2005, annuity providers are aggressively designing and marketing annuities that — like the low-cost variable annuities# — appeal to very specific investor goals or needs.

“For years, companies offered products that tried to do everything at once — give the highest rates, best liquidity, best income **guarantees, and benefits,” says Ken Nuss, founder of AnnuityAdvantage.com, which has free listings of fixed index and income annuities. “But that’s over. They’re getting better at fulfilling a specific goal more effectively.”

To help sort through a breadth of products, Barron’s surveyed annuity companies and industry experts to come up with the 50 most competitive contracts in popular annuity categories. The results, based on common investor assumptions and goals, are detailed in the table, right.

Low-cost variable annuities# with alternative investments earned a new category entry in the top-50 survey this year, thanks to the growing number of these contracts and their potential benefits to investors.

ANNUITIES, WHICH ARE TAX-DEFERRED INVESTMENT vehicles that allow you to turn on an income stream either immediately or years from now, come in two basic categories: Variable annuities have payouts that fluctuate along with their underlying investments; fixed annuities offer a **guaranteed interest rate for a specified number of years. [Read the full article at Barron’s]

Transcription:

Dick: Hello, I’m Dick.

Eric: And I’m Eric and we’re the annuity guys. Today Dick, we’re going to look at best in class annuities. Now, that sounds awfully high pollutant there. What’s best in class mean? Sounds like a horse racing term.

Dick: Well, Eric, one of the problems that we’ve had in our videos and we’ve been criticized at times; we had folks say…

Eric: No.

Dick: Why don’t you guys tell us what a company; which annuity and that type of thing? Well, let’s just give some disclosure here. Folks were in the most tightly regulated, most highly compliant industry; and if we start mentioning company’s names, we actually have to go out to get their approval first.

Eric: We need a lot more leave time to be able to tell you what the company name is.

Dick: Before we can do a video.

Eric: We have to get approved by the company and then they take about six weeks to banter back and forth; and then they come back, they usually say, no.

Dick: And then there’s another problem, if we start mentioning companies Eric…

Eric: Because it’s wrong as soon as we say it.

Dick: After we’ve said it, it’s wrong the next day. And that’s because the best in class annuities; Eric and I have certain annuities that we tend to favor or better than others, and certain companies…

Eric: It’s based off of historical performance that typically is better than others

Dick: But we may have a client one week that’s pretty similar to a client two or three weeks later; and we have to use a different product because some things either change with that annuity or that person’s situation is just a little bit different.

Eric: That’s right. It can be as simple as one is male, one is female. You would think there would not be that much difference?

Dick: So, what got us going on this subject today?

Eric: Well, It varies. I love them, but I hate them right now. You know it’s nice of an investment kind of publication that we typically think up to feature annuities in the top fifty annuities on the cover of that…

Dick: Well, they’re so biased. A lot of times they won’t even talk about annuities.

Eric: That’s right. So, we love the fact that they’ve decided talking about you which are the top fifty annuities. Now, I’ll have you know, they’re wrong.

Dick: Take it with a grain of salt and read it with a critical eye.

Eric: That’s right because as soon as I look at their list, I said “oh no!” Now, they had to make assumptions. They assume within their first section here that everybody two hundred thousand dollars exactly.

Dick: They’re all sixty years old.

Eric: Six-years-old and male. So, this list is probably very good for the time the article was written if you’re sixty and had two hundred thousand dollars. Now, if you’re 63 and female, the list is wrong.

Dick: Or all you have is two hundred thousand in your name; or what if you had a million to your name? All those variables change. Suddenly, that isn’t the right annuity because there’s other reasons you’d be doing this.

Eric: So, it did address some of the issues in the different pieces but we would tell you that when you first look at this, don’t assume everything here is going to apply to your situation. There’s typically not just one best annuity.

Dick: No! And then when you start talking about working with an advisor that really gets it, they’re going to take a much more sophisticated approach and it’s good not going to be one best in class annuity; it’s going to be three or four or five; and they’re going to have to all work together.

Eric: Right. It’s a balancing act of usually giving you an option. Maybe this one is lower rated but has a slightly better pay out for what your intention is.

Dick: Yes, yes.

Eric: This one has a higher rating but maybe slightly lower or may have to hold it a little bit longer…

Dick: This piece over here works well in a tax-free environment for growth and there’s the maybe starting a portfolio out of a good immediate annuity might make sense out there. So, again, being able to structure this properly, I would say to get best in class annuities, there’s no substitute for working with an expert.

Eric: And that’s where you rely on somebody in their expertise to define for you, what fits your situation. I know I sat down and run numbers and I’ve had what I thought was going to be the best one going in. And all of a sudden I said I run numbers and for this particular unique situation it had to be somebody that was exactly this year old and got to hold it for this long, one specific annuity all of a sudden jumps out of package you never expect. Nothing pay’s to go back and look at the analysis and…

Dick: Exactly. And it doesn’t hurt folks; never, never think that Eric and I are saying “don’t do your own research.” Look at the company’s ratings; get in our rate vault and look at all of the different annuities and the different features, and ratings, that type of thing; and do some comparison. But then, there comes a point where you do get involved with a an expert, an agent that works with these on a regular basis; and they’ll be able to look at the subtleties, the real differences and that’s where you really can find the best in class annuities.

Eric: And as we’ve spoken, there’s no reason why you can’t pull out a list like this and say “hey, what about company X here? I see that they were best in class on variance. What’s that look like?” The advisor can then run the numbers give you the idea of why what they’re proposing may be better or you know…

Dick: Eric, even with our expertise, we’ve had situations where somebody’s come to us and said “you know I was reading about this or that or whatever”; and maybe we haven’t even opened our eyes to something that they brought to us. And then we started utilizing it for other clients because it looks like they were right. You know, I’d like to think that we have a lock on all the knowledge but it’s working with people on a regular basis that keeps us on our toes and keeps us at the top of our game.

Eric: So if I’m looking for best in class annuity, where do I go?

Dick: You go first of all to our website…

Eric: Which you are here for a long time…

Dick: And you begin your research; and then you work with an expert advisor.

Eric: Yes and that’s the key; it’s getting the facts from somebody that works in this area all the time.

Dick: That’s right!

Are Annuity Commissions Too High?

By

Most of the mainstream media decries annuities as bad investment choices sold by unscrupulous agents solely to earn high commission.

CNN/Money even states “annuities frequently charge other high fees as well, usually including an initial commission of up to 10% of your premium or investment”. The key word in this statement is “up to” – the majority of fixed annuities today are in the five to seven percent range if the agent elects to take the commission up front. It is important to keep in mind that commission on an annuity will not reduce the annuity’s account value. Licensed agents are typically paid commissions directly from the insurance company based on state regulation.

In this video Dick and Eric examine annuity commissions and how they compare across annuity types as well as looking at how these commissions compare to investment fees and commissions.

**Guarantees, including optional benefits, are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer, and may contain limitations, including surrender charges, which may affect policy values. During this segment, Dick and Eric are referring to Fixed Annuities unless otherwise specified.


 
Here is a portion of the CNN/Money Article cited above…

How do I know if buying an annuity is right for me?

Typically you should consider an annuity only after you have maxed out other tax-advantaged retirement investment vehicles, such as 401(k) plans and IRAs. If you have additional money to set aside for retirement, an annuity’s tax-free growth may make sense – especially if you are in a high-income tax bracket today.

Annuities have some significant drawbacks. For one, you must be willing to sock away the money for years. If you make a withdrawal within the first five to seven years and you typically will be hit with surrender charges of up to 7% of your investment or more. Annuities frequently charge other high fees as well, usually including an initial commission that can be up to 10% of your investment. If you purchase a variable annuity#, ongoing investment management and other fees often amount to 2% to 3% a year.

These fee structures can be complex and unclear. Insurance agents and others who sell them may tout the positive features and downplay the drawbacks, so make sure that you ask a lot of questions and carefully review the annuity plan first. [Read More at CNN/Money]


Using OutCome Based Planning™ for Your Retirement

We practice and recommend a "Holistic - OutCome Based Planning™ process when considering annuities." This approach has the effect of balancing your overall portfolio so you can meet your retirement objectives by "first identifying the least amount of your investments or savings (if any) that should be considered for annuities." OutCome Based Planning™ analyzes and models multiple outcomes so you can clearly identify your best income and growth opportunities.

"The Annuity Guys will only call if you request help". Hence, when you are ready for specialized help we will be available.
"Working with an Experienced Fiduciary Financial Planner can help you Avoid a Trial & Error or Risk Based Retirement"

This type of approach does take considerably more time, effort and analysis which will show you mathematically the successful possibilities by comparing various outcomes rather than trying to sell or convince you of that "so-called one best solution." Clients frequently tell us that this process removes some of the confusion and emotion to help them objectively identify a better retirement plan; rather than just ending up with the most convincing salesperson or advisor.

When requesting help you can be assured of working with an experienced Annuity Guys' Retirement Planner who is independently insurance licensed and securities licensed as a fiduciary financial planner having access to the vast majority of annuity companies in helping you choose the best annuities using a holistic-outcome based planning approach. We consider the high quality advisor recommendations we make to our website visitors as a direct reflection back on our commitment to serve all client's with a high standard of excellence in financial planning for retirement.

Based on survey feedback on advisors from our website visitors, we eliminated about two-hundred local advisors and now only recommend a few that we consider experienced vetted Annuity Guys' Fiduciary Advisors. Many local advisors continue requesting us to recommend them as a vetted advisor. However, our reputation and future business is driven only by satisfied website visitors. So, unfortunately we've had to tell the vast majority of local advisors no, since we changed our business model four years ago. At that time we stopped trying to satisfy everyone with local advisors, we now primarily work with individuals who are comfortable using today's internet technology to their fullest advantage by working with a select group of vetted, experienced and knowledgeable Annuity Guys' Fiduciary Planners.


Fiduciary Retirement Review
Priority Mail - Free Shipping!Our Gift to You

After confirming your request for help and shipping address by phone, we will immediately send your FREE personally signed Library Edition of our popular Annuity Reference Book "The New Retirement" plus Fact-Filled, Full Video Access!


Selecting the Best Annuity & Retirement Income Advisor

Are you willing to work with one of our retirement and annuity advisors based on their experience and expertise as a first priority rather than being limited by a local or regional area? The good news is that technology has forever eliminated our geographical limitations and leveled the playing field for everyone! As a result of today's technological advances, all of us can now work confidently with experts in any field including personal finance. We are no longer confined by regional or local boundaries limiting our choices and ultimate success. A high quality advisor is now as close as a click or phone call away.

Video:"Choose a National or Local Advisor"?
"There is no room for trial and error when it comes to choosing MarketFree® Annuities or a Successful Retirement Planner."
When you think about it, your money is almost always in some other state with a custodian; whether invested in the market or with an annuity insurance company, the advisors competence is primarily needed when positioning your money initially. So working with a specialized expert in a financial discipline like investments or retirement planning is imperative. There are no undo buttons in retirement! Once the annuities get set up correctly, it is customary and more efficient for owners to benefit by having direct access to the issuer instead of having to go through the agent. And, of course any reputable advisor, local or national, is more than willing to assist their clients if needed after they are implemented.
Video:"Why These 3 Types of Annuity Advisors are Not Created Equal"
"There are no undo buttons in retirement so it is vitally important that you do it right the first time!"

We are fortunate to have a select few who we believe are truly the highest qualified advisors out of about two hundred licensed insurance agents that we eliminated. Your survey feedback is what helps us make these tough decisions. Our advisors have an independent financial practice, specializing in annuities and retirement planning, which helps ensure that you are given the best options available for your retirement planning.

Video: "How Much of Your Money Should You Consider Placing into Annuities"?
"It takes an experienced expert to know how to structure annuities for income, inflation, growth, return of principal, and tax advantage."

"Anyone can sell you an annuity; however, it takes a truly qualified and experienced advisor to know how to structure them for income, inflation, growth, return of principal, and tax advantage. Typically, there is not just one that can accomplish all of these objectives. It is how an advisor structures multiple annuities in balancing your total portfolio that makes it possible to achieve your most important retirement objectives."

Video: "How to Choose a Great retirement Advisor"?

Why Searching for the Best Annuities on Your Own Can be so Frustrating...

Almost everyone nowadays turns to the internet for answers on everything - from buying new widgets to researching just about everything under the sun; and finding the best annuity is no exception!At first, it may seem that researching will be straightforward but the more time you spend researching them, the more frustrating it can be. Why is this? First of all, it does not take long to realize that gimmicks abound - such as warnings and alerts from salesmen who just want your attention so they can sell you one or the "too good to be true" claims of 8% to 14% **guaranteed interest and of course the claim that you can get the full market upside with no downside risk! If you have done any research you have heard all of these claims in advertising which are mostly half truths and not fully explained.So how can you find the best annuities on the internet? The truth is... you can't! And what is even more frustrating is all the conflicting points of view from so called experts. There are well over 6,000 different annuities - all designed for different reasons, so is it any wonder that the deck is stacked against the average researcher or do-it-yourselfer. Add to that the fact that they pay high enough commissions to attract a plethora of both good and bad agents. This does not make annuities good or bad; they are simply a financial tool that truly benefit those who use them correctly.How can you find the best annuities for your unique situation?
  • Use the internet cautiously;
  • Work with a vetted and experienced specialist;
  • Do not settle for that one dubious best plan. Compare multiple Outcome Based Plans to decide on the one that is truly best for you;
  • Be keenly aware of scare tactics and hyperbole - avoid those advisors and websites;
  • Avoid websites that are focused on rushing free reports, rates and quotes to get your contact information they are rushing you to speak with them, instead, take your time and choose someone you are more comfortable with that works on your time-table;
  • Know the Five Vital Factors (listed above) that an experienced specialist must answer before helping you select the best options for your situation;
  • Watch this telling video "Avoid Annuity Gimmicks, Amateurs and Charlatans"...

Video: "Avoiding Gimmicks, Scams & Charlatans"

  ** Guarantees, including optional benefits, are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer, and may contain limitations, including surrender charges, which may affect policy values. Annuities are not FDIC insured and it is possible to lose money.
They are insurance products that require a premium to be paid for purchase.
Annuities do not accept or receive deposits and are not to be confused with bank issued financial instruments.
During all video segments, Dick and Eric are referring to Fixed Annuities unless otherwise specified.

  *Retirement Planning and annuity purchase assistance may be provided by Eric Judy or by referral to a recommended, experienced, Fiduciary Investment Advisor in helping our website visitors. Dick Van Dyke semi-retired from his Investment Advisory Practice in 2012 and now focuses on this website. He still maintains his insurance license in good standing and assists his current clients.
Our vetted and recommended Fiduciary Financial Planners are required to be properly licensed in assisting clients with their annuity and retirement planning needs. (Due diligence as a client is still always necessary when working with any advisor to check their current standing.)


Site Terms & Disclosure

  1. All tools, videos or information visible on this website's pages, television, or other media are for educational and conceptual purposes only.
  2. Tools, videos or information are not to be considered investment advice, insurance recommendations, tax or legal advice.
  3. It is recommended that site visitors should work with licensed professionals for individualized advice before making any important or final financial decisions on what is best for his or her situation.
  4. Website comments are not considered investor testimonials those shown only relate to an insurance agent referral service, customer service, or satisfaction with the purchase of insurance products and are never based on any investment or securities advice or investment or securities performance.
  5. Please be aware that your feedback and compliments may be shared with our visitors or those that may be interested in our services we will never give out your full name or full address or phone number without your permission. By sending us your feedback & comments you agree to allow us full use in sharing your comments with others in public forums. Thank you for sharing.
  6. Media logos are not any type of endorsement, they only imply that one or more of the Annuity Guys have written for, been quoted by, or appeared on the listed news outlet, broadcast or cable channels, or branded programs for non-advertising and/or advertising purposes, to offer educational and conceptual information about retirement issues.
  7. Income is guaranteed by annuitization or income riders that may have additional costs or fees.
  8. http://www.annuityguys.net & http://www.annuityguys.com forward to https://annuityguys.org. - Further all disclosures and information are to be considered as one and the same for any and all URL forwards, and these same disclosures and information also apply to all YouTube videos featuring Dick & Eric where ever they are viewed.
  9. MarketFree™ Annuity Definition: Any fixed annuity or portfolio of fixed annuities that protects principal / premium and growth by remaining market risk free.
  10. Market Free™ (annuities, retirements and portfolios) refer to the use of fixed insurance products with minimum guarantees that have no market risk to principal and are not investments in securities.
  11. Market Gains are a calculation used to determine interest earned as a result of an increasing market related index limited by various factors in the contract. These can vary with each annuity and issuing insurance company.
  12. Premium is the correct term for money placed into annuities principal is used as a universal term that describes the cash value of any asset.
  13. Interest Earned is the correct term to describe Market Free™ Annuity Growth; Market Gains, Returns, Growth and other generally used terms only refer to actual Interest Earned
  14. Market Free™ Annuities are fixed insurance products and only require an insurance license in order to sell these products; they are not securities investments and do not require a securities license.
  15. No Loss only pertains to market downturns and not if losses are incurred due to early withdrawal penalties or other fees for additional insurance benefits.
  16. Annuities typically have surrender periods where early or excessive withdrawals may result in a surrender cost.
  17. Market Free™ Annuities may or may not have a bonus. Some bonus products have fees or lower interest crediting and when surrendered early the bonus or part of the bonus may be forfeited as part of the surrender process which is determined by each contract.
  18. MarketFree™ Annuities are not FDIC Insured and are not guaranteed by any Government Agency.
  19. Annuities are not Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insured and their guarantees are based on the claims paying ability of the issuing insurance company.
  20. State Insurance Guarantee Associations (SIGA) vary in coverage with each state and are not to be confused with FDIC which has the backing of the federal government.
  21. This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration.
  22. *"Best” refers only to the opinion of Dick, this site's author; or the opinion of Dick & Eric in videos and is not considered best for all individuals.
  23. *"APO” refers only to the Annual Pay-Out of annuities in the guaranteed lifetime income phase. *APO is NOT an annual yield or an annual rate of interest.
  24. AnnuityRateWatch.com, is only a linked to subscription service, which is not affiliated with this site, it supplies and updates all Annuity Rates, Features Ratings, Fees and Riders. AnnuityRateWatch.com's information is available in the public domain and accuracy is not verified or guaranteed since this type of information is always subject to change.
  25. Dick helps site visitors when help is requested. Dick may receive a referral fee as compensation from an advisor for a prospective client referral. This helps compensate Dick for time spent assisting site visitors and maintaining this educational website.
  26. Eric Judy is both insurance licensed and securities licensed. Eric offers securities as an investment adviser representative through Client One Securities, LLC.
  27. Eric purchases prospective client referrals from Annuity Guys Ltd. and may be compensated by commission for helping prospective clients purchase. Eric may also recommend these prospective clients to an advisor and earn a referral fee or a referral commission split.
  28. Vetted advisors refers to advisors that are insurance licensed and recommended based on referral experience from satisfied clients.
  29. Any recommendation of an advisor is only one aspect of any due diligence process. Each site visitor must accept full individual responsibility for choosing a licensed insurance agent/advisor.
  30. In the event that a recommended licensed advisor/agent is not considered satisfactory, Eric will make reasonable efforts to recommend other advisors one at a time in an attempt to satisfy a site visitors planning or purchasing needs.
  31. Dick is the website author and editor, Annuity Guys Ltd. is the website owner; Eric is a guest video commentator. Videos gathered from other public domain sources may also be used for educational and conceptual purposes.
  32. There is NO COST to site visitors when they are given an advisor referral or recommendation.
  33. By giving the us your contact information such as email, phone number, address and etc. you are giving your permission to be contacted or sent additional relevant information about annuities, retirement and related financial information. We have a NO SPAM policy.
  34. Accuracy of website information is strived for but is not guaranteed.
  35. Freedom from virus or malware is strived for but is not guaranteed. Website visitors accept any and all risk associated with damage to any computer for any reason when using this website and hold this website harmless from any liability.
  36. Use this website like the vast majority of websites at your own risk. No risk or liability of any type are accepted by any business entity or any of the information providers for this website.

What do Annuities Really Earn? No Hype…

By

Apples and oranges – what do they have in common? Both are fruits!

Why would we start a discussion about annuity earnings with apples and oranges? When people start looking at annuities, they invariably want to compare them to mutual fund^s or other securities. Commonly, they will start the discussion about the merits of a particular annuity by asking about the “upside” or growth potential. Let us state this clearly – thinking of annuities as accumulation products by comparing them to securities is just plain wrong in the vast majority of scenarios. So let’s not mix apples and oranges.

Do annuities have growth potential? Sure, but do not decide to purchase an annuity expecting high single digit or double-digit gains, especially with today’s economic conditions.

Annuities are safety and security products that should be viewed in the light of their **guarantees. Dick and Eric examine what annuities really earn in this weeks video.

[embedit snippet=”video-specialist-button”]

 

**Guarantees, including optional benefits, are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer, and may contain limitations, including surrender charges, which may affect policy values. During this segment, Dick and Eric are referring to Fixed Annuities unless otherwise specified.

In addition to your questions, this weeks inspiration came from…

Behind the indexed annuity curtain

By Stan Haithcock at MarketWatch.com

We all saw the original Wizard of Oz movie when they went to see the powerful Oz and were totally in awe until the dog, Toto, pulled the curtain back to show that it was just some goober running a sound board.

That curtain needs to be pulled back on indexed annuities as well because “the show” is getting to be a little overwhelming on the lunch seminar circuit and with the increasingly aggressive online annuity promoters.

First of all, let me explain the details of an indexed annuity (also called an equity-indexed annuity, fixed-index annuity, hybrid annuity). An indexed annuity is a fixed annuity with a call option on an index, usually the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index. The vast majority of the call options are one year in length, but can be as long as five years. The S&P 500 index represents over 90% of the index option choices even though other index selections (Dow, Nasdaq, etc.) can be found in some product offerings. These call options allow you limited participation in the upside of the index (not including dividends).

When indexed annuities were developed a couple of decades ago, they were designed to compete with CD returns, not market returns. They were never put on the planet to be a pure growth product, even though they are sold that way by agents and the online annuity spammers. Realistic and historical (yes agents, these are also called facts) return expectations for indexed annuities should be around 3% to 5% annually. Those annual gains, if any, are locked in at the contract anniversary date, and then a new index option starts.

Please understand that indexed annuities are complex products, and the majority of agents are unable (or unwilling) to properly explain them and usually just focus on a few sizzle points. Below I have listed some of the positive and negatives of indexed annuities and where they might work within your portfolio.

Positives

  • Used with Income Riders for target date income planning

This is how I use indexed annuities for my clients. I also attach contractual death benefits or confinement care benefits when that is the ultimate goal.

  • Downside protection

Because your potential gains are attached to a call option, if the markets go down and the call option expires worthless at your contract anniversary date, then you will not lose any money. Agents use the phrase “Zero is your hero.” That’s a pretty goofy way to put it.

  • Gains locked in

This is a very good feature of indexed annuities. If you have gains from your index option, that gain is locked in permanently, never to go below that amount. Just remember that your upside potential is very limited, regardless of what your agent tells you.

  • Possibility to capture market dips

As an example, if the S&P 500 index goes from 1,300 to 900 in one year, your index option for that year would not credit any gains, but you would start the next index option year at 900 on the S&P 500.

  • Higher actuarial payout for income

Most indexed annuities, when used for lifetime income purposes with attached income riders, have a higher actuarial percentage payout than similarly structured variable annuities#. [Read More…]

Annuity Guys® Video Transcript:

Dick: Today we want to talk about annuities, and we want to get all the hype out of the way, Eric.

Eric: The hype? There’s hype in annuities? Oh my gosh.

Dick: Well, this was inspired by Richard out in Massachusetts, one of our folks that had used the website and we had given him a referral. He sent in a question that basically said, “You know, I’ve been looking at different blogs on the Internet, and they’ve talked about the return, and the annualized return doesn’t seem to be that high.” And that’s true, isn’t it?

Eric: This is where people have the challenge. When they first start looking at annuities, they’re coming from a world where they’ve been focused on accumulation.

Dick: Right.

Eric: When we look at the mutual fund^ industry, everybody talks about, “I did this return, 20%, 30%.” “Oh, I beat the S&P.” That’s the accumulation world. The focus there is on numbers, the return I’m getting.

Dick: Exactly. Right. Is there a little hype in that world?

Eric: Oh there’s a lot of hype. You know, glossy pages with the charts that go like this. Oh my gosh.

Dick: Well, and we can look at DALBAR studies that talk about the individual investor and what they actually do earn, and it’s down below 5%, considerably below 5%. So it’s all over the board.

Eric: But must people have been conditioned to focus on the return.

Dick: Of accumulated money. Right.

Eric: Yes. I’m making this much. I’m making this much. I’m getting this much. That’s not what an annuity is about. It’s not about taking and trying to grow the asset so much as preserve it, because you’ve already done the saving part.

Dick: You’ve already done the work. You’ve built the nest egg.

Eric: What’s the goal of saving? It’s future spending. Saving is really, in this case, future spending.

Dick: Right. So would it be fair, Eric, to say that an annuity is more about security and cash flow?

Eric: Yes. Yes, it would. I would say that would be fair.

Dick: So if we were to boil it down and just get rid of all the hype, and when I say “hype,” I mean the way its presented, it may not really be hype, but it does sound good. We talk about 7% rollups on the income account and 8%. W talk about 5% payouts and 6% payouts. But if we really got down to the life expectancy and drawing the income off an annuity . . . well, first of all, let’s just talk about an immediate annuity. What would the real internal rate of return be on an immediate annuity overall?

Eric: One, two percent.

Dick: Max. One to two percent.

Eric: My thing, when we start talking about annuities, and we’re doing it now, talking about rate of return, first question I have to ask you is: When are you going to die? Then I’ll tell you what your return is going to be.

Dick: Exactly. The insurance company has this figured out statistically, and they know that, overall, your rate of return on this annuity in a statistically generalized averaged sense is going to be in the neighborhood of a couple of percent on an immediate annuity. Right now, with today’s rate, even a little less than that. Yet billions and billions of dollars of immediate annuities are sold. Why do people do that?

Eric: Safety, security, cash flow. We’re going to repeat ourselves a lot here. If you’re going to be focused on return, don’t go here.

Dick: Exactly. I know we both have got a lot to say here. But one thing that comes to my mind is all of the sure bet things that are out there in the investment world, the things that you are told you cannot lose, such as Enron, Lehman Brothers. What are some others?

Eric: Well, GM was always the . . . I grew up in a world where they always said buy GM stock, and you never have to worry.

Dick: Right. Enron? Madoff? So these are things that all look good, but those are all followed by this caveat of past performance is no indicator of future results. We tend to gloss over that and say, “Oh, they just say that.” But that’s there for a reason.

Eric: Right. But it’s a risk-reward aspect. You’re chasing the reward there and are willing to take some of that risk. What we talk about when we look at annuities, we want to take that risk and diminish it significantly so that you have that safety, you have that **guarantee.

Dick: Yes.

Eric: And that’s what we’re focused on with annuities.

Dick: And that’s not for all of a client’s money.

Eric: Not all of your money. That’s right. Asset allocation, spreading the baskets out.

Dick: It’s a further diversification, another layer of protection and safety completely. And now if we get into the very popular indexed or hybrid annuity, there are a lot of things to talk about in terms of that income rollup and how it gets your income up to a certain level by a certain age, which would not be **guaranteed if you were in the market. You maybe couldn’t take that big of an income without depleting your principal much faster. So there is that aspect. But if we just talked about the overall rate of return of that hybrid annuity, we took it like some of these guys do, and they’re very good at their math and their spreadsheets. They spread it out and they show if you start a guy out at 60 years old and you defer him for 5 years or 10 years, with this 7% rollup, you turn it on, and he lives to age 90. What’s his return going to be?

Eric: Like two, three, four, five percent, perhaps. That would be on the high end.

Dick: On the real high client.

Eric: It depends on when you start.

Dick: Two percent on the low and maybe, like you say, four to five on the extreme high, but more like two to there percent would be like the max. They’re are part of the rule.

Eric: Part of what we’re looking at is we’re looking at pieces in today’s environment. Caps right now are structured around what today’s caps are.

Dick: Right.

Eric: So when we’re looking at things, we like to today’s numbers. Now, we expect caps will increase in the future. Can we **guarantee it? No.

Dick: No.

Eric: And that’s what, when we work with annuities, we really like to talk about **guarantees. Because if you’re satisfied with the **guarantee, then anything above and beyond is good.

Dick: That’s right.

Eric: And the same thing is true on the indexing side of these components. Look at what the **guarantee is. That indexing component offers a little bit of a bump. But, focus on the **guarantee.

Dick: Right. Well, folks, I think for today’s topic we want to thank Richard. Thank you Richard for that good question. Eric and I added something at the first of the year that you may not have seen on the blog site. So when you’re through with this, if you’d like, you can actually ask us a question.

Eric: That’s right. We’ve put it out there in a couple different spots. We encourage you . . . as we come up with topics, sometimes it’s nice to know what you want to actually hear about.

Dick: Right. We tried to dispel the hype here and get down to the real rate of return is and then talk about the real reason that you do an annuity and choose an annuity.

Eric: No hype, just answers.

Dick: Thank you.

Do Not Waste Time Considering Annuities, If You…

By

Do not waste your time considering annuities if you cannot find one of the following Annuity Profiles that matches your situation.

Annuity Profiles
1.    Security Oriented – Reached a stage in your life when market risk is not appealing.
2.    Value Freedom from Oversight – Want money to grow securely but do not want to be bothered with constant monitoring. Set it and forget it!
3.    Want a Pension Style Income – Can appreciate a reliable stream.
4.    Like Avoiding Probate for Heirs – Knowing that money can transfer efficiently and IRAs can be stretched over your children’s lifetime.
5.    Your Healthy and Plan to Live a Long Life – Longevity makes annuities work in your favor.

The above scenarios do not have to be an all or nothing strategy. Having specific amounts of money allocated to specific purposes allows for a blending approach when accomplishing retirement objectives.

The above attributes are not as well suited to variable annuities# where securities risk and higher fees are typical.

Dick and Eric discuss the above Annuity Profiles in more detail.

[embedit snippet=”video-specialist-button”]

 

Guarantees, including optional benefits, are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer, and may contain limitations, including surrender charges, which may affect policy values. During this segment, Dick and Eric are referring to Fixed Annuities unless otherwise specified. 

Case Study Example from the Insurance Information Institute:

Is an Annuity Right for You?

Click a Star to rate us as you watch, we love your feedback!!! Click video once for play or to pause.

[starrater tpl=10 style=’oxygen_gif’ size=’24’]

Why should I consider purchasing an annuity?

Annuities can serve many useful purposes.

If you are in a saving-money stage of life, a deferred annuity can:
Help you meet your retirement income goals.
Help you diversify your investment portfolio.
Help you manage your investment portfolio.

If you are in a need-income stage of life, an immediate annuity can:
Help protect you against outliving your assets.
Help protect your assets from creditors.

Read more from the Insurance Information Institute.

Annuity Guys Video Transcript:

Dick: You know annuities really aren’t for everyone and Eric and I…

Eric: Shock! Oh my god.

Dick: Eric and I’d like to kind of tackle that today, and just be maybe a little bit blunt and explanatory, on those that an annuity works well for and those that don’t.

Eric: You’re just saying “Don’t waste time, either yours or ours if…”

Dick: Well, now we don’t mind to waste a little of our time, but it’s their time that they’re concerned about.

Eric: Okay, their time. So if you don’t fit the annuity profiles that we’re going to talk about, probably not best to invest too many more hours pondering, whether or not an annuity fits your situation.

Dick: Right, and many times folks, someone has recommended an annuity to you. Could be an adviser, it could be a friend and it’s really wise to look at your options, and consider what does make sense, what doesn’t make sense, whether it’s an annuity, or an ETF, a mutual fund^, whatever it is that you’re thinking about. However, there are some things about an annuity that make them good for some and not good for others.

Eric: Right, so we always talk about **guarantees safety, **guaranteed growth, , those are some of the things. So if you’re a mutual fund^s stock picker and you like that security as being in the market, you like that aggressive growth profile, an annuity’s probably not.

Dick: Right, an annuity wouldn’t be the right thing. I mean you’re less security-oriented. You’re more willing to take risk. Another thing would be that you would really look at this market, and you would say to yourself that over the next decade or two, that you think things are going to really rock and roll. They’re going to do well. If you’re the type of person that really believes that we’re in for a tough couple of, the next 20 years then you may find yourself thinking that an annuity is pretty appealing.

Eric: Yeah, or if you like to be actively involved.

Dick: Right.

Eric: You know if you’re one of these hands-on, you want to be the trader, you want to have your fingers in everything. I flash back to the Ronco commercials of yore, you know? The little toaster, where it used to say, you know, “You set it and forget it.” If you’re that mentality, then maybe an annuity is kind of an appeal, because it’s one of those things you want that **guarantee, that aspect of the annuity. You want that regular check coming.

Dick: So folks, if you like the idea of freedom from oversight you don’t have to be involved in the day to day activity, the monthly ups and downs of the statement coming in. If that appeals to you then yes, you’re probably going in the right direction.

Eric: Yeah, if you run to the mailbox get that investment statement and go, “Yes,” then that’s probably not an annuity person, you’re more of an investment person.

Dick: Right, exactly.

Eric: So pension-styled income, we talk about you like the idea of getting that check every month. If that appeals to you…

Dick: Well, it’s quite different. There’s nothing else out there, there just literally, is nothing that gives you income **guarantees like an annuity.

Eric: Well, a pension.

Dick: Well, and that is an annuity. I mean Social Security it is a form of an annuity type arrangement. Pensions are annuity type arrangements, and so if you have a lump sum of money, and you want to know that you’re never going to run out of money, never going to run out of income and you value that, then an annuity really is in that line of thinking.

Eric: Right, if you’re more of a person who says, “You know what? I’m just going to take out a fixed. My investments I’ll manage them. I can pull out 3.0-4.0-5.0% every year and I’ll be happy. I don’t need that **guarantee aspect. I’m comfortable with a little.”

Dick: Right, and if inflation goes crazy, and you start getting into your principal that type of thing that you’re comfortable with making those adjustments along the way.

Eric: You can flex up and down.

Dick: Right, right. Again, you’re kind of out of that mode of auto-pilot or set it and forget it. You’re a hands-on, do-it-all.

Eric: Hands-on, right.

Dick: And we have to realize too, this is another issue that I’ve run into with clients and I know you have. Is that as we age, as retirement progresses along we have less and less tolerance or we see our clients have less and less tolerance, for being right on top of things and manipulating it themselves. They really want a lot of times, more of that auto-pilot setup.

Eric: Right, exactly, and I think people start to feel more secure. When you don’t have a salary check coming every month, all of a sudden that regular flow of income that you’re used to getting, if you’ve been in one of those jobs where you got that check every month, then all of a sudden switching to something that’s a little more uncertain.

Dick: Right and you have to make those decisions.

Eric: And they may have been a little bit more aggressive and had tolerance of the market’s ups and downs, at that point in time in their life, but all of a sudden, now they have to get that monthly paycheck. Those ups and downs become a lot more painful.

Dick: It makes a big difference in your ability to sleep well at night and to feel comfortable with what you’re doing.

Eric: Exactly. Speaking of feeling comfortable one of the things, probate comes in. Everybody’s suing everybody these days, but one of the nice things about a lot of states is that annuities are protected, basically from creditors.

Dick: From creditors, that type of thing, and yet even for probate it’s such an efficient way to take money around the probate court, because it goes directly to the heirs, and so that’s good. Also folks, if you have an IRA, that IRA can be stretched, stretched out to your heirs. And insurance companies are one of the few financial institutions that really do that effectively. They are just set up for it. It’s the way they work. So in effect, you can transfer an IRA. Give your children maybe, the equivalent of their own retirement in the future from your IRA, if you don’t need to spend it.

Eric: Exactly. Yeah, and kind of the last profile that I would say that really is key for an annuity, if you think you’re going to have some longevity. You’re going to live a nice long life and you don’t want to have to worry about running out of money, that’s it. That’s the sweet spot right there.

Dick: Right, right. Well, and you know Eric, we’ve always said and we tell people all the time, look we’re not trying to beat the insurance company or beat up on the insurance company.

Eric: Occasionally, I like to beat them, but…

Dick: But if our clients can win. Obviously, we’re always going to err on our client’s side. So if someone has longevity, they really believe that they have the possibility of living that longer life, they really will actually, statistically come out ahead, and win against the actuaries at the insurance company. So then the rate of return isn’t just decent or acceptable or reasonable, it’s very good, and so that’s where we like to have that conversation. There’s also a flip side to this, which I just might want to mention because there’s a few of you folks out there that are just the opposite. You actually believe you’re going to live a much shorter life, and yet you want to know that you can maximize the money that’s coming in to you, never run out and spend all you want while you’re still here. The thing you want to do there is look at an immediate annuity, that’s medically underwritten, because you’ve got some medical condition that you believe will shorten your life, and we can actually do a medically underwritten annuity.

Eric: Right, you may have a condition that basically says, “You know what? Statistically, it takes a couple years off your life expectancy.” Then they rate that based off of that new age that they calculate.

Dick: Right, right. So Eric, is it possible that some people are wasting their time considering annuities?

Eric: Well, most definitely. I mean you always want to look at all your options.

Dick: You do.

Eric: Obviously, the answer is annuities are not for everyone.

Dick: That’s true.

Eric: So hopefully our little five points here, that we’ve got on this page, will help you determine whether an annuity is right for you.

Dick: Exactly. You really have to weigh your situation over and when you go over these points, if a lot of them sound like you, and make sense to you then go forward, do your research, go consider an annuity, and if it’s the opposite?

Eric: Right, if you can’t hit one of the items on the checklist.

Dick: One or two, yeah, just sayonara.

Eric: Thanks for checking us out today.

Dick: Thank you.

Annuities – The Best Financial Product No One Wants!

By

Why would an insurance actuary call annuities the best financial product no one really wants? And why would he go on to say that in retirement he might not even purchase an annuity himself even when he knows they make good sense?

Dick and Eric discuss why individuals purchase annuities – even though they don’t want to…

**Guarantees, including optional benefits, are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer, and may contain limitations, including surrender charges, which may affect policy values. During this segment, Dick and Eric are referring to Fixed Annuities unless otherwise specified.

Annuities: The best financial product no one really wants

“Annuities are not sexy. You hand over your money to an insurance company who then puts you on a seemingly stingy allowance for the rest of your life”

People who save through RRSPs have a choice to make when they retire. They can transfer their RRSP balance to an RRIF and draw it down at their own pace (subject to a minimum) or they can buy an annuity.

The simple fact is, an annuity may be a great idea, but hardly anyone buys one.

It is easy to blame low interest rates, which depress the amount of annuity income one can buy these days. But annuities were not in vogue even when interest rates were much higher a dozen years ago.
‘Let me be honest. When I retire, I am unlikely to buy an annuity myself, even though I’m an actuary and know all the advantages’

Economists have come to refer to this phenomenon as the “under-annuitization puzzle.”

Buying an annuity seems like an elegant solution since it removes the risk of outliving one’s assets (what actuaries like to call “longevity risk”), it eliminates the hassle of making investing decisions after retiring and the income stream it provides is super safe (it really is, at least in Canada). So why are they so unpopular?

In recent years, however, the economics of annuities have improved greatly. Annuities in Canada now generally return 95% to 100% of premiums paid. In fact, with the recent fall in long-term government bond yields, annuities now return more than 100% return of premiums paid in many cases. The economics, then, can no longer be blamed.

Another often-cited reason for not annuitizing is that the retiree wants to leave a large lump sum to a survivor in the case of early death. This argument, however, does not hold up on closer examination.
Advertisement

Even when people have little or no interest in leaving assets behind for their heirs, they tend not buy annuities. Moreover, annuities can come with generous survivor income options, if one is prepared to pay for them. Another excuse shot down.

There are other explanations for this puzzle, including: The desire to have money on hand in retirement for a rainy day; the recognition that income needs might vary and the fixed income from an annuity might not match up well; and a reluctance to give up the chance to do better by investing in equities within a RRIF if stock markets do well.

Let me be honest. When I retire, I am unlikely to buy an annuity myself, even though I’m an actuary and know all the advantages.

I would be the first to admit this reaction is not entirely rational. The reason, plain and simple, is that annuities are not sexy. You hand over your money to an insurance company who then puts you on a seemingly stingy allowance for the rest of your life. [Read the Full Article from Fred Vettese at the Financial Post]

Annuity Guys® Video Transcript:

Eric: The topic is annuities. The best financial product no one really wants.

Dick: Can you imagine that no one would want an annuity, Eric? Is that a true statement?

Eric: No, the people I talk to every day, everybody wants an annuity.

Dick: But that’s different. Folks, the people that we talk to may be someone like yourself that’s actually went to our national website, as Eric likes to remind me, international website.

Eric: International website.

Dick: But goes to our website and they’re already in the mindset of annuities.

Eric: Right, they’re doing their research. They’re doing the background on why this might work for them.

Dick: So we might be just a little bit skewed, do you think?

Eric: We’re taking it based off an article, and interestingly enough, it was written by an actuary who works for an insurance company. His comment and I love this, “Annuities are not sexy. You hand over your money to an insurance company who then puts you on a seemingly stingy allowance for the rest of your life.” Well, that sounds pretty pathetic, if you ask me.

Dick: I do have to say that, before I knew much about annuities, many years ago that never entered my mind, never crossed my train of thought. Would I rather have a new car, a new house, or an annuity?

Eric: Rather than an annuity. That’s not fair. Everybody would rather have a new car or a new house.

Dick: That’s right, and really when you think about it, and that’s a lot what this article gets into is we built this money up. We accumulate this money and we like the idea of hanging onto it, controlling it, investing it, whatever we choose to do with our money, but to hand it over to an insurance company and let them give us money back, it’s kind of a transitional state that we go through to make these types of decisions, and there has to be a pretty good reason behind it.

Eric: I come from a family of educators. I’ve talked about that before.

Eric: You know right now in Illinois, we’re fighting. They’re fighting to maintain their pension. Well, what’s an annuity really?

Dick: It’s a pension-style income.

Eric: I mean for today’s 401k investors they’re basically, when you get your retirement you’ve got this lump sum. Do you want to keep the lump sum or would you rather have a pension?

Dick: The vast majority of retirees before they retire and they have this choice, not all companies give this choice; but there are a lot of corporations that will give the employee the choice of a lump sum or a pension. Now the vast majority choose the pension. They’ve worked their entire life.

Eric: For the seemingly stingy income for life?

Dick: Yeah, and yet, even those that would take the lump sum, in many cases will turn right around with that lump sum, and buy a commercial annuity that they feel is a better option, than maybe the pension the company was going to offer. So we tend to get it when it comes to that lump sum that comes from the employer, but yet many times we’ve worked all of our lives, built up all of this money and what’s the purpose of it?

Eric: It’s mine. I want to keep it.

Dick: What’s it supposed to accomplish?

Eric: That’s exactly it. It’s just future spending. It’s not savings. Its future spending is what we’ve save for, but we don’t think of it in those terms. We think of it as “This is money I saved. I don’t want to give it to somebody and then have them, give me a seemingly small allowance.”

Dick: Right, and that’s where the insurance company’s job, their job is to look at risk, to manage risk, to know what’s realistic. You’ll have to read this report, folks and kind of get the gist of what this person’s saying, because he actually is an actuary and he’s really laying out that these insurance companies don’t always win on this stuff.

Eric: And he talked about annuities are much better—the design and what they payout in today’s era, is much better than they were 10-20-30-years ago.

Dick: Right, a lot’s changed.

Eric: You really do have an actuarial advantage to buying an annuity and he admits that, even though I know this advantage exists, I’m not so sure.

Dick: I might be standoffish when I first retire, but maybe as my age advances I’m going to be more apt to do this. This kind of brings me back to a lot of the buzz that is out there and things we talk about with the hybrid annuity but one of the things that appeals so much to folks, on a hybrid-style annuity is that they are able to control that lump sum. What we call majority control the first 10-years or so of an annuity. You have some surrender charges, so you control about 90% of it during that first 10 years, and those surrender charges decline, so after 10 years, you control 100% of it and you still have a lifetime income. And yet, if you haven’t used that money in your account, it can all go on to your heirs, your spouse, whatever is important to you.

Eric: Exactly. In his life point, I guess in summation here he talks about you know what? Everybody has, even if you have that lump sum investment you have, usually a portion that’s in equities and you have a portion as you get closer to retirement that we should all be moving into those fixed payments, bonds, CD-style. What would be wrong with taking those more conservative assets, turning that into an annuity and then just truly letting your equities run, and knowing you have that **guarantee that income coming on?

Dick: Well, Eric obviously this is what we talk to our clients about. We talk to them about balanced allocation. Not putting everything into annuities, not necessarily having everything in the market. Finding that balance that works for each individual, and so to me, he’s right along the lines of what we continue to explain to people.

Eric: Exactly, yes. He takes care of the foundation very well.

Dick: So Eric, would you say that an annuity is something that no one wants?

Eric: All right, there are a few people that want annuities.

Dick: Well, folks we’re not saying that an annuity is going to be the end-all and the be-all or exactly what you need, but you do want to look at it closely and determine where it might fit into your overall financial picture. We really appreciate you spending the time with us, today.

Eric: You have a great afternoon.

 

 

 

Why are Hybrid Annuities so Popular?

By

What made fixed index annuities and hybrid annuities the fastest growing annuity type on the market according to a LIMRA report? Why would you consider a hybrid annuity when planning your retirement? Dick and Eric look at hybrid annuities and what makes them so special.

[embedit snippet=”video-specialist-button-hybrid”]

 

**Guarantees, including optional benefits, are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer, and may contain limitations, including surrender charges, which may affect policy values. During this segment, Dick and Eric are referring to Fixed Annuities unless otherwise specified.

What are Hybrid Annuities?

Hybrid annuities, also referred to as hybrid income annuities, are essentially a type of insurance contract allowing the account owner to allocate his or her assets into a fixed annuity with a market benchmark component, having an income rider or riders that give substantial present or future **guarantees to secure a variety of retirement objectives.

These annuities refer to a combination of several unique aspects of various types of annuities that have been combined. Technically, a hybrid annuity is a fixed index annuity with an innovative new generation income rider attached to it.

Some hybrid annuities can help to resolve the concerns with regard to other needs in addition to asset growth and retirement income––such as long-term care funding or wealth transfer to heirs––while still providing one with a secure income. These annuities are considered by many to be the answer to satisfying a combination of retirement objectives combined into one solution, thus having the potential to solve several issues in retirement.

Obtaining a hybrid annuity essentially works the same way that you choose any annuity, in that making an allocation begins by choosing the hybrid annuity after comparing rates, features and ratings that meet key retirement objectives and then funding the hybrid annuity contract with a licensed agent as the final step.

With some hybrids, if funds are required for needs such as long-term care, with certain hybrid annuities, owners can have access to withdrawals for that purpose by way of an accelerated cash account payout or a **guaranteed increased income payout, in some cases for as long as it is needed. However, if they do not need the funds for that purpose, they will receive their lifetime **guaranteed retirement income just as it was structured or use the annuity for moderate growth as a secure asset foundation to balance their portfolio.

Annuity Guys® Video Transcript:

Dick: We’re going to talk about hybrid annuities today. We’ve have a lot of different subjects, and a lot of times, Eric, we touch on hybrid annuities. But let’s talk about why they’re so popular and maybe, before we actually get into that, let’s talk about what they are.

Eric: Oh sure. I was ready to talk about why they’re so popular. What is a hybrid annuity? People call up and say, “Well, I’ve been talking to this guy about a hybrid annuity.

Eric: Then the first thing I do is I say, “Stop,” because hybrid unfortunately has become a marketing term for a lot of individuals.

Dick: A hybrid annuity, to us, is the fixed index or fixed annuity, usually with an indexing component, and then it has a rider typically that **guarantees income for life. These are like the newer, more innovative income riders. I know you run into this. I run into it. Folks will start describing a variable annuity# to me, and they’ll start saying it’s a hybrid. They may have just confused it with a hybrid, or they may have been told it’s a hybrid.

Eric: In all fairness to the variable annuity#, it was really the first one to have those riders that would give income for life.

Dick: That’s true.

Eric: So if you think of just that rider being that contextual piece that makes it more of a hybrid. Well, in my mind those pieces were always part of the variable. They weren’t part of the fixed. So the fixed has kind of morphed its way, to use a different term I guess, into that variable.

Dick: How long has it been that fixed annuities? I’m going back I would say . . .

Eric: I’m much too young to know.

Dick: I would say that it was about somewhere seven years ago that the riders on the fixed annuities really started to pick up steam. And like you say, on the variable annuities#, they’d already been kind of a mainstay for the variable annuities#.

Eric: Right. I think what they saw was the variable annuity# market had a lot of traction. People really appreciated for life without having to give up their assets.

Dick: Without annuitizing

Eric: Right, annuitizing. And that’s where we always talk about the immediate annuities, that’s the component they have. You can get income for life, but you have to give up your assets. So why people are attracted and what makes hybrid annuities so popular is that aspect of, basically, income for life **guarantees without having to give up your assets. You can still pass on money to heirs. You can still change your mind. You have majority access as we like to say.

Dick: Yes, or majority control.

Eric: Majority control. So the aspect of the hybrid annuity is actually very popular for those specific reasons right now. The other thing I see right now, especially in today’s economy, when you look at where rates are, as far as what’s being paid on the growth side, not extremely attractive.

Dick: It’s not very good. It kind of goes back to the bank CD rates, savings rates, and money markets are all effected typically by the ten year Treasury, and we have that same effect on the annuities. If we said they’re paying double what the banks pay, it’s still not very much.

Eric: No. Two times nothing is still nothing.

Dick: Exactly. So you might be looking at a 2% to 3% range maybe on a fixed annuity or even a fixed index annuity. And yet, on a recent report, Eric, that we were just talking about, the LIMRA Report, it showed that people purchasing annuities, those sales are down pretty dramatically, except for the fixed index, which is what we consider the hybrid.

Eric: Which is the base of the hybrid.

Dick: Exactly. And let’s just say that for the sake of conversation, folks, in today’s annuity world, the mainstream hybrid annuity is considered the fixed indexed annuity with one of the newer income riders on it. So just for the sake of clarification, when you’re speaking with people, you really have to clarify terms. Ninety percent of what’s talked about on the Internet and what’s talked about, advisor to client and advisor to advisor, is a hybrid annuity is a fixed annuity with a newer, innovative type income rider on it.

Eric: That’s right. And those are the pieces right now that are for the upcoming retirees, basically or near retirees, as I like to think of them. That’s what makes it really attractive, because those companies are still providing some of those **guarantees in deferral for the growth component on those hybrid annuities.

That’s the other aspect of that income rider usually. It’s I’m going to **guarantee a certain percentage of growth in deferral. Right now, we’ve got in the range of 4%, 5%, 6%, 7% still available in that deferred growth. So for somebody who’s thinking about retiring in the next five to seven years, if you’re uncomfortable with what you think is going to happen in the market necessarily and you want that **guarantee, it’s **guaranteed and predictable. Those are two aspects that give near retirees comfort.

Dick: Well, and this is where, when we go back and we compare it to the variable annuity# and we say sales are down in variable annuities#, and yet they’re up in indexed annuities, there’s not as much potential on an indexed annuity for growth. People aren’t interested today so much in potential and growth as they are in **guarantees.

Eric: Safety and **guarantees.

Dick: Safety and **guarantee of principal, and I also say there’s one more factor that makes these so popular and that is cash flow, because we spend our life, our careers building our money up and saving, and we look at growth. So we’re accumulating net money. But what are we accumulating it for?

Eric: To spend it.

Dick: We need to spend it, effectively and efficiently, and that’s what the hybrid annuity does, is it allows you to know what type of cash flow you’re going to have throughout your retirement, to ladder it, stage it, cover some inflation hedge aspects. I believe that’s what’s driving the popularity of this hybrid annuity.

Eric: Yes, I would agree. I would say 90% of the questions I get about annuities are about hybrid annuities. When I talk to people, I say the best thing about a hybrid you work backwards. Tell me what income you want and when you want it, and I can use a hybrid annuity . . .

Dick: And we’ll tell you the least amount of money to put in to get there.

Eric: To get there. People are like, “Yes, that’s what I want. I want that predictability, reliability, and **guarantees, those contractual **guarantees.”

Dick: So, folks, we hope that this has cleared up some of your concerns and potential misconceptions, or confirmed the things that you already know about a hybrid annuity. It’s very much a part of the financial planning community today and what’s being used and what’s effective. Anything that we can do to give you more clarity and maybe some direction on these hybrid annuities, we’ll be glad to do it.

Eric: And hopefully we explained why they’re so popular right now.

Dick: Yes.

Eric: Thanks for tuning us in.

Dick: Thank you.

The Love Hate Annuity Relationship

By

Every financial product has negatives and positives, how these products are presented or utilized by companies and advisors can lead to a vast array of emotions and opinions…. Hence, annuities are no stranger to this love/hate relationship.

Dick and Eric discuss some of the rumors that annuities face that often lead to the conflicting opinions among individuals considering an annuity in retirement.

[embedit snippet=”video-specialist-button”]

 

**Guarantees, including optional benefits, are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer, and may contain limitations, including surrender charges, which may affect policy values. During this segment, Dick and Eric are referring to Fixed Annuities unless otherwise specified.

Below are some excepts of an article by “Coach Pete” D’Arruda president of Capital Financial Planning and host of Financial Safari Radio broadcast the stimulated the idea foe this weeks commentary. [Full Article]

Annuities Have a Negative Perception

Despite their benefits, annuities have received negative attention over the years for a number of reasons, including rival products seeking to discredit them, poorly constructed products in the space and inappropriate sales of the products. It is imperative potential annuity investors have all the right information on hand to make an informed decision.

While annuities are not for everyone, those who can benefit from them should not let common misconceptions dissuade them from using an annuity as part of a comprehensive financial plan.

The Top 5 Rumors About Annuities

  1. Every issued annuity is a variable annuity#.
  2. The impact of inflation is too great for fixed annuities.
  3. With penalties and surrender charges, annuities are just too expensive.
  4. Never use your IRA money to invest in an annuity.
  5. With a big name comes a better return.

Remember that securing **guaranteed retirement income in this volatile, low-rate environment is difficult – but not impossible. Do your research, tune out the conflicting opinions and don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions of your financial planner. It’s absolutely possible an annuity should be part of your financial plan.  Get your hands on an Annuity Owner’s Manual before purchasing an annuity and learn the good, the bad, and the fine print before you ever invest your money. [Read the Full Article]

Annuity Guys® Video Transcript:

Eric: Today we’re going to talk about the love/hate relationship that people have with annuities.

Dick: Why does that happen? I mean what is this love/hate relationship? But it really is there.

Eric: It is. We were reflecting on an article by Coach Pete, who’s on radio in the financial safari down there in North Carolina.

Dick: His radio station is really picked up all across the nation too, so a lot of people hear him.

Eric: He gets questions occasionally. One of the questions was, “What’s the true story?” Talking about the negativity of some of the annuities. Really, it’s looking at why annuities are so negatively portrayed in the media and these attempts to discredit annuities sometimes by their rival products.

Dick: I think it’s also important to recognize that there are these positive articles about annuities. There’s a lot of emphasis, even from the federal government, now that annuities could make a big difference. But yet we get a lot of negative press.

Eric: Sure. If you think about it, annuities compete for the same slice of the pie as mutual fund^s, stocks, bonds, and CDs. I mean all those pieces are options for people when they’re trying to determine where to put their retirement dollars.

Dick: Do you think that some people just might try to color it, I mean the wrong way, for personal gain?

Eric: I have never seen a mutual fund^ company advertise ever. Well, maybe . . .  You have to realize there are competing opinions, and everybody wants to think that theirs is the best. Yes, insurance companies compete against investment companies and the such. So there are conflicting opinions and approaches. You see sometimes people tend to go negative. We’re in the political campaign era. We don’t see any negative campaigning going on. I think that’s part of or one of the reasons that some people have such a negative opinion about annuities. That creates that hate relationship.

Dick: From our own perspective, when we’re working with folks that are just kind of entering that realm of understanding annuities, many of their questions center around variable annuities# because that’s all they’ve read about in the press. They don’t know the difference between the variable and the fixed and the immediate. They pick up this negative connotation that’s continually put out there by the press.

Eric: His first point was, yeah, every annuity is a variable annuity#. Well, that’s not true, but a lot of people confuse especially the variable annuity# and the fixed indexed annuity.

Dick: Correct. They have some similarities.

Eric: Exactly. If you use the S&P as a benchmark, well the S&P is an investment product, right? So they think that it’s invested in the S&P.

Dick: Yet a fixed annuity is just what it says. It’s fixed. It’s safe. Your principal is **guaranteed, which is the opposite of the VA.

Eric: Exactly. In a variable annuity#, your principal can go up and down with the performance of the underlying sub-accounts or the investment accounts.

Dick: Where with a fixed indexed, you’re not really invested into that index. You’re just using it as a gauge of rising and falling.

Eric: Exactly. That’s where the confusion comes in. It’s not necessarily a fixed return that you’re going to get with an indexed annuity. But the safety aspect of every fixed annuity out there, the worst you’ll do is a zero on the return.

Dick: Your principal is always protected.

Eric: It’s protected.

Dick: The other thing, Eric, that we run into a lot with the VAs is the idea that, “Hey, aren’t these annuities all high fees?”

Eric: Right. With a fixed annuity, everything’s built in. It’s what you put in is what goes in. There’s no load fee. That confuses the mutual fund^ aspect. “Well, what’s the load I have to pay? What’s the upfront cost?”

Dick: Sure. Right.

Eric: With fixed annuities, it’s all factored into the performance of the product. What you put in actually goes into your annuity.

Dick: I do find that from folks that are just setting up an annuity that they are kind of amazed. “Okay, so I give you $100,000 or I give this company $100,000 and then they give me a bonus. I start off with $105,000 or $110,000 in this annuity. And I don’t owe you anything?”

Eric: Yeah. “How much do I have to pay for that?” The insurance company has already factored that into the program.

Dick: Right. Yet, it is a little different with the variable annuity#, or a lot different, we should say. I’m just saying in the sense of the fee structure. With the variable annuity#, the fees are going to be right there on your statement. For the most part, you’re going to somewhere from 3% to 5% maybe, depending on the riders.

Eric: Depending on the riders. I mean you could get one of the barebones ones that have very low fees. But most of them, if you’re really looking at the income **guarantees or the death benefit **guarantees, you’re going to have significantly higher fees.

Dick: Yes.

Eric: All right. Rather than just focusing on the variables, we can talk about some of the other misconceptions. What about inflation? Can a fixed annuity combat inflation?

Dick: I think the answer to that is obviously yes.

Eric: Why is that obviously yes?

Dick: Well, there are different ways that you can either defer a fixed annuity with a very high rollup rate, high growth rate for future income. You know that when you turn that income on, that’s going to be an offset against inflation. Yet, there are also ways to actually have cost-of-living adjustments.

Eric: The other aspect that combats inflation is if you’re looking at something that’s going to be in the equities market, you have risk involved with the volatility of the market. That’s one of the things. You don’t have to worry about inflation on the side of you haven’t worried about taking a loss.

Dick: Yes. A lot of times there’s just this automatic assumption that if your money is in the stock market, it’s going up 8% a year. If we look at the last 10 or 12 years, you’ve made virtually nothing. There’s also the possibility that your money goes negative. Now how well does that keep up with inflation?

Eric: Oops.

Dick: Not good.

Eric: No, not good at all.

Dick: It’s not good for sleeping at night.

Eric: We’ve talked about, in previous videos, strategies for addressing inflation with annuities, whether it be through laddering. There are tools out there that can help you combat inflation with annuities.

Dick: Right, and I would, folks, recommend that you go back and look at some of the other videos that we’ve done on laddering annuities and various aspects of inflation.

Eric: Sure. All right. The third point he makes is with penalties and surrender charges, annuities are just too expensive. He points out that this is partially true. There are surrenders. There are penalties. Depending on the annuity you select, I mean it can have surrenders. I can think of one off the top of my head that has a 16 year surrender. So they are out there. There are surrenders.

We’ve talked about this also in previous interviews. Why are there surrenders built into it? It’s because these are not short-term products. If you’re buying it for the wrong reason . . .

Dick: Well, these companies have to secure the clients’ money. The money goes into long-term bonds, very high-quality investment vehicles, and US Treasuries. The idea is, to protect everyone, these surrender charges have to be there.

The key to setting up an annuity properly is making sure that it does meet the objective, that it meets the long-term objective. Then you’re not going to be in a situation where you’re going to suffer a penalty or a surrender if it’s done properly.

Eric: Exactly. I think that’s the key. If you look at something that has a ten-year surrender, it’s typically a long-term product. It’s been designed. Annuities are designed for lifetime income. They are safe, secure vehicles that have longevity, basically, as part of the quotient of what they’re built on.

Dick: I think the idea of the 10 years or 12 years or 8 years, whatever the surrender aspect of the annuity is, gives the client a sense of, “Well, if things change or I would change my mind, I have this escape.” But most folks that set up an annuity really look at the benefits way beyond 8 years, way beyond 10 years or 12 years. They want this to carry them through their entire retirement. It truly is a long-term solution to a long-term problem.

Eric: Exactly. That is really the solution it should be solving. It’s not a vehicle where you are going to trade in and out of different annuities each and every other year. If that’s your intent, you’re looking in the wrong spot.

Dick: Right. Go ahead. I was going to say let’s talk about what makes people love their annuities.

Eric: Well, they take out volatility of the market performance. If you’re concerned about volatility, people typically do that. The income aspect, you have for life. There’s a novel idea. Those are the two big ones that jump into my mind right off the bat. So **guarantees . . .

Dick: Safety. I can say this, Eric, from experience with clients, many times going into it the thought of, “Should I do an annuity, shouldn’t I do an annuity,” there’s hesitation. There’s this love/hate because of all of the negative press and propaganda from all directions.

Eric: What’s coming in. Yeah.

Dick: Correct. Yet, what I find is that those folks that actually have an annuity, that have had it for several years, especially those that have come through the financial crisis, that they’re very satisfied. There is an appreciation and a love for that decision that they’ve made. Very seldom is anyone not satisfied.

Eric: I would agree. If you buy it for the right purpose, if it fits like a glove because it satisfies what your need was, then you’ll be happy. That truly is where people who have purchased it and got what they wanted and are happy. If they educate themselves going in and understand what it’s going to accomplish for them, then they will be pleased with an annuity. Most often, you’ll love the fact that you’ve made that decision because, in some ways, it’s sleep medicine.

Dick: Yeah, it is. It’s sleep assurance. It’s sleep insurance in many ways. I know that we could end it right here, but let’s hit it on the other side of it. Let’s talk about the hate. Why would you hate an annuity?

Eric: You bought for the wrong reason. You thought you were going to buy it now thinking the rates were awful, and all of a sudden rates go up higher. “Oh, if I would’ve waited, I could’ve gotten a better rate.”

Dick: Or you like maybe living on the edge a little bit, you know?

Eric: You like volatility.

Dick: You like the up and down of the market, taking that calculated risk, hoping for the best.

Or you’ve got this discretionary money that you could put into the market. It wouldn’t hurt anything. You stuck it in an annuity, and now that annuity isn’t performing at the high level of the market.

Eric: Right, you have an annuity. You have the safety **guarantees. You’ve eliminated the risk. All of a sudden, everybody else is talking about how the market is doing . . .

Dick: They’re making all this money.

Eric: Oh, I’m making so much. You missed out. Timing is everything. But, you know what, the timing of an annuity is you’ve taken that **guarantee, and you shouldn’t have to worry about it.

I guess I’m not being negative enough.

Dick: Well, thanks folks for tuning in today. We hope this helps you in your overall decision to kind of balance all of this information out there, both positive and negative.

Eric: Well, we hope you don’t hate us, but I don’t know if you’ll love is either. Thanks for coming in.

Dick: Bye-bye.

Is a Pre-Issued Annuity right for you? – Part 1

By

This is a two part blog on Pre-Issued Annuities. In part 1 we will examine some of the reason why someone might consider a Pre-Issued Annuity for a portion of their portfolio.

Is a Pre-Issued Annuity right for you? If you think like most people in this low interest rate environment the answer is a resounding YES!

[embedit snippet=”video-specialist-button”]

 

**Guarantees, including optional benefits, are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer, and may contain limitations, including surrender charges, which may affect policy values. During this segment, Dick and Eric are referring to Fixed Annuities unless otherwise specified.

Once you understand the high yielding yet safe nature of these financial vehicles it becomes apparent quickly that most of us have money that would be well suited to this type of strategy. The biggest question most individual investors have is how do I get started  without making a mistake that I will regret. The key is using an expert that specializes in this field having a legal and fiduciary interest towards you as the client. The best advisor for this will have experience in the industry, inside sources for access to the best available contracts, and be a practicing attorney to follow and assure the validity of the court order process.

PRE-ISSUED ANNUITIES ™ have several positive attributes in common that make them currently in high demand:

  •     High Yields – typically 4.5 to 8.5 percent.
  •     Safety – payment streams are **guaranteed by highly rated insurance companies
  •     Safety – Court order process protects both buyer and seller
  •     Safety – Issuers – regulated by State Insurance Commissions with **guarantee associations .
  •     Fixed and reliable income streams
  •     Diversification for portfolios of sophisticated investors
  •     Truly a non-market correlated asset
  •     IRA or Qualified Account compatibility
  •     Estate transfer to heirs
  •     Twenty year plus successful transaction history

Is a PRE-ISSUED ANNUITY™ right for you? [Read More…]

Annuity Guys® Video Transcript:

Eric: Today, we’re going to talk about pre-issued annuities, safety, and high-yield. High yield; we’re chasing numbers right now. In this day and age, everybody calls up and they say, “Where can I get . . .” and of course, it used to be, “Where can I get 5%?” now it’s, “Where can I get 3% or 4%?” Is there a place we can get 5%? Especially when they call us up, and based off the Annuity Guys® website, we get a lot of call that say, “Give me a number. Give me 5%”

Dick: This is probably the most frequent call that we get, folks. A lot of folks that are looking for CD alternatives, because CDs, as you know, Eric, what are we now? About 2% would be the max, 2 or 2½ on a really long-range CD. What we’re seeing more frequently is maybe ½%.

Eric: I was going to they all start with a dot in front of the number, unfortunately; 0.8.

Dick: Then when we come down to the new-issue annuities, new-issue annuities, again, are severely affected by this low-rate environment, which may be with us for quite some time because of our fed.

Eric: Just recently, companies are coming out and making predictions that this is the rate environment; get used to it. We’re going to see this for the next 2 to 3 years.

Dick: I’ve often brought this up, but Japan has seen this for the last 15 to 20 years and they’re the second-largest industrialized nation, their GDP, in the world. Is it possible that this becomes an extended 5 or 10-year cycle, because we’re trying to get out economy booted up and it doesn’t happen? Where can good, honest people go to get a good, fair return? That’s the big question.

Eric: The retail environment has always been, “This is what’s available to the consumer.” The nice thing is we’re breaking down some barriers and we’ve got some things that were just available for institutional buyers, banks, multimillionaires, basically people of means, or institutions of means, they dabbled in these markets before. Now you’ve got access for the consumer market.

Dick: If we go back and just do a little brief history, we’ll do something more in-depth later, but just a little brief history. Pre-issued annuities, which are called structured settlements.

Eric: Secondary market annuities.

Dick: Lottery annuities.

Eric: Life-contingent annuities.

Dick: Pre-owned annuities. There’s so many different terminologies, but pre-issued is a pretty accurate way to describe these annuities. Someone bought this annuity originally and they don’t need it anymore, or they were in an accident, they got some type of a settlement, or they won the lottery. They don’t need the income stream, but they do need some money upfront. Folks, you’ve probably seen Imperial Structured Settlement and some other ones out there that regularly advertise on television. Some of these will come through that type of avenue, or distribution. The whole idea of this is that somebody is willing to sell their payment stream for considerably less than what it’s worth, in terms of those final payments throughout the maturity.

Eric: It’s basically, ‘I have an income stream or an annuity that I’m going to eventually get this much money for. I’m willing to sell you that payment stream, or that lump sum, and you’re going to give me a lump sum now.’

Dick: You might sell $200,000 worth of payments for $100,000, that I’m going to collect over a period of maybe 10 years, which comes out to in the neighborhood of about 7%, maybe even a little more than that. That’s a way that I can get a very substantial yield and you can your lump sum of money that you need, that’s kind of the gist of how it works. Like I said, going back in history, a lot of these companies that you see advertising on television to buy these large settlements, they will actually package these up, securitize them, sell them to institutional investors, pension funds and the like, and investment banks, and they have lots of large buyers standing in the wings. Guys like you and I, Eric, and our clients, we couldn’t have access to these, just maybe 5 years ago.

Eric: The market wasn’t there. We didn’t even know it existed, probably, until the advent of . . . from an individual consumer talking to our clients.

Dick: Folks, what really happened was we went through this financial crisis and all the credit dried up, and now all of a sudden, these institutional advisers, Eric, they just weren’t walking in and buying these bundles of securitized pre-issued annuities, so what were they going to do? They found a new avenue to sell it to.

Eric: Yes. Now we have a lot of brokers, independents, going out there and basically finding these pieces out there that are available for purchase. They’re buying them and remarketing them. You’ve got brokers online that are all over the place.

Dick: There’s some negatives that we probably need to talk about, but maybe, let’s break it down and let’s talk about positives and negatives.

Eric: Let’s highlight just first the positives, Okay? Yields: We’re in a low-rate environment right now, so a new-issue annuity, if just were looking at a [inaudible: 06:11] or CD-style, you’re only going to see a return in that 0 to upward . . . 10 years will get you almost 4%. Here, we’re looking at yields.

Dick: We start at 4, 4.5, and we’re well-connected, we know the source that we can go to. We can do considerably better, and on some of different types of pre-issued annuities, they’ll pay out a little more, like the life-contingents. We can get upwards of 8.5% over a good length of time. It’s a huge difference in yield.

Eric: So the yield is much higher.

Dick: Yes. Then we come down to safety.

Eric: We got multiple levels of safety. Who may buy these, who’s underwriting all these contracts? Where are they coming from?

Dick: The ones that we recommend, or the attorneys that we work with, recommend are really coming from A-rated, A+ rated, A++ rated . . . I guess we can do a little name-dropping here, but maybe Allstate, Prudential . . .

Eric: John Hancock.

Dick: These are really strong quality companies.

Eric: We’re not just picking for our clients, it’s not just taking anything, there is a certain requirement of what we’re looking for, from a safety standpoint. They’re safe from the underwriting of that. Somebody owns these annuities. How do they get transferred into my name, if I want to buy them?

Dick: That’s another layer of protection, another layer of safety, and it’s the court-ordered process. When this whole industry got started, like we talked about, approximately 20 years ago or so, it was a little bit like the Wild West, and it was anything goes. A lot’s changed since then, and there’s been some rulings and things that protect the person that’s actually trying to sell their lump sum. Now, this all has to go through a court-ordered process. It really protects both the buyer and the seller. It’s also very important that you have some type of legal representation as it moves through that process, that it’s done where all the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed properly.

Eric: That’s safety from . . . so you got a court agreement that’s been placed, so the contract is basically a court-underwritten piece?

Dick: Exactly, and it really directs the insurance company, the A-rated or A+ rated company, where there payment streams are now going to. By court order, they are to pay those to the new owner of those payment streams, not to the new owner of the annuity. The owner of the annuity remains the initial person that had the annuity issued, and that’s why we call it a pre-issued annuity. It was issued previously, and all this person is doing is selling their payment stream.

Eric: It’s not taking the ownership away; it’s really just taking the ownership of the income stream and passing it off.

Dick: Exactly. Then we have the layer of safety that all of these A-rated companies, I should say highly-rated insurance companies, they are regulated by the states, The State Insurance Commission.

Eric: The State Guarantee Association.

Dick: They each have a State Guarantee Association. I would say, folks, you have to individually look into that, what your state does, but it is another layer of protection. You’ve really got about 3 very serious layers of protection. There’s another 1 or 2 that we could talk about, and I’m not going to get into it, it’s a little bit more complex from the structured settlement side, but there’s another layer of protection, sometimes, that becomes into play.

Eric: Are these like just buying them off the shelf, in the sense of who’s buying them?

Dick: This is the trick. Folks, you can go out and Google ‘pre-issued annuities’, you can look structured settlements and the like, and you will find some companies available out there on the internet that have a retail list of what’s available. Unfortunately, the best pre-issued annuities typically never hit the internet; they’re actually taken right from the source when someone wants to sell their payment stream or their lump sum. Again, this really makes a difference if you can be connected to a good attorney, someone who knows right where the source is and can kind of cut out the middle man, cut out the brokers that are in between, because typically, you’ll have anywhere from 2 to 4 brokers involved in sharing the profits before it actually get to the clients. The more that you can cut out of that, the higher yield you’re likely to have.

Eric: Less hands in the pockets, the more [inaudible: 11:26]. These are sophisticated instruments. How would they fit in a portfolio, in a sense? Is it . . .

Dick: This is still, even though there’s a certain level of sophistication to it, it’s like anything that you do in the investment world. If you look at your prospectus what, how many pages are in an average prospectus, Eric? You’re securities guy?

Eric: The phone book? [inaudible: 11:54] pages.

Dick: 100, 150.  You could say that investments are pretty technical, pretty sophisticated, and that would be true, we’ve just become familiar with them, we understand them; our stocks and our bonds, that type of thing. These, likewise, once you understand them, you realize that they’re very safe. The companies that are backing them, you can actually know your yield. You have a very reliable payout in the income stream. There’s really no volatility in it like there would be in an investment?

Eric: I think the key here is diversification, just like anything out there; it’s a key piece, to diversify your portfolio. You said it; it’s a non-market correlated asset. In today’s market, as we watch it bounce like a Wham-O ball, up and down, it’s taking that volatility out. You know exactly what you’re going to get from either the lump sum aspect or the payment stream aspect, so it becomes a nice piece to smooth out the waves with the rest of your portfolio.

Dick: I think we should also mention that it’s IRA-compatible. You’d have to setup a self-directed IRA, which there’s many different custodians out there that’ll help you with that, and we can recommend one to folks that we work with. It is just nice to know that it’s IRA-compatible. Then if you would end up passing early before you’ve received your lump sums or your payment strings, it can be paid directly to your estate or to your heirs.

Eric: Lots of pieces out there that make it an attractive option, especially for these people that, for me, this is for somebody who’s been in the CD world for a long time. They want safety, security, but they want a larger return, and it’s something that’s just going to be parked there.

Dick: It could be for somebody that’s been in the stock market, that are reaching, that are near-retirement age. They’re wanting something that’s much safer, takes the volatility out of it, but they still want to get the yield. That’s all the good things we’ve talked about.

Eric: There are some limitations. Those are on the con side.

Dick: We have to be fair about it.

Eric: We don’t have to, but it should, it makes the video that much better when we’re balanced.

Dick: Fair and balanced. We don’t want to take this away from Bill O’Reilly.

Eric: That’s right.