The Three Main Types of Annuity Insurance – Fixed, Variable, and Equity Indexed

The Three Main Types of Annuity Insurance – Fixed, Variable, and Equity Indexed

If you want to choose annuity as a means to invest your financial assets, you may find it really grueling to deal with as there will be many schemes and patterns than what you assume or imagine. The fixed annuities, indexed annuities, and variable annuities are some of the major types of annuities, of which one may find immediate annuities and deferred annuities. If at all you go deeper, then you will find a wide range of annuity products from a variety of companies.

Every annuity has some characteristics in common. Tax deferred escalation or growth is such a particular feature. As with any benefit provision from government, there is also certain disadvantage associated with it. If you withdraw any cash from the annuity before 59 years then you have to pay taxes as well as 10% penalty for the escalation. Since the annuity financial allotments tag on LIFO rules, enter first, exit last, IRS gives primary importance to interest.

The easiest way to narrow down the selection is to decide exactly what you want in your product. Fixed annuities are probably the easiest to understand. These products are often compared to CDs. The fixed annuity pays a fixed rate of return, there’s no risk to the principle because of market fluctuations and like a CD, and after a specific period you can remove the cash value penalty free.

Annuities provide the advantage of withdrawal before the surrender date which is not present in a CD. Both the CDs and the annuities provide the advantage of taking out the interest part every year, the fixed annuities provide you the access to utilize the principal amount and some of them permit the use of 10 percent of the contract value. If you keep it unused, it will be added in the following year.

Variable annuities have mutual funds as their funding vehicle, although many also have a fixed fund on the interior. Unlike the fixed annuity, the principle fluctuates. Some variable annuity contracts offer riders that guarantee either a specific percentage of return each year or at the minimum, a return of premium regardless of market conditions. These riders of course, cost the owner of the contract a small amount every year but are well worth the cost in fluctuating or dropping market conditions.

The clients could switch on to other families of investments unlike the schemes outside the variable annuity contracts without any payment each time. The tax deferred mode does not trigger any revenues while moving from one fund to another.

The third type of anuity, an indexed annuity, is a hybrid between the fixed annuity and the variable. Like the fixed annuity there is a guaranteed interest rate. However, the interest rate is slightly lower than most fixed annuities. It’s lower because there’s also a potential for a much higher growth. The annuity is tied to a specific index. It might be the S&P 500 or an international stock index. If the index increases, depending on the contract and the amount of participation, the contract owner receives a portion of that growth.

Like the fixed and variable annuity, each contract varies. All types of annuities do give some access to funds but the details of each vary from company to company. Within these three types of contracts, you also have the ability to take an immediate annuity or a deferred annuity. The difference is whether you begin an income immediately or simply allow the funds to grow, potentially taking an income later if at all.

It is better to consult an annuity expert before finalizing an investment. You will find several efficient sites in the internet to know the details of workings of annuities and obtain annuity quotes to take a suitable decision.