ANNUITIES: Three Types of Insurance Products

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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An annuity is a contract between you and an insurance company.  When you purchase an annuity, you make a lump-sum contribution or a series of contributions, generally each month.  In return, the insurance company makes periodic payments to you beginning immediately or at a pre-determined date in the future.  These periodic payments may last for a finite period, such as 20 years, or an indefinite period, such as until both you and your spouse are deceased.  Annuities may also include a death benefit that will pay your beneficiary a specified minimum amount, such as the total amount of your contributions.

The growth of earnings in your annuity is typically tax-deferred; this could be beneficial as you may be in a lower tax bracket when you begin taking distributions from the annuity. 

Warning: A word of caution: Annuities are intended as long-term investments. If you withdraw your money early from an annuity, you may pay substantial surrender charges to the insurance company as well as tax penalties to the IRS and state.

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There are three basic types of annuities — fixed, indexed, and variable

1. With a fixed annuity, the insurance company agrees to pay you no less than a specified (fixed) rate of interest during the time that your account is growing. The insurance company also agrees that the periodic payments will be a specified (fixed) amount per dollar in your account.

2. With an indexed annuity, your return is based on changes in an index, such as the S&P. Indexed annuity contracts also state that the contract value will be no less than a specified minimum, regardless of index performance.

3. A variable annuity allows you to choose from among a range of different investment options, typically mutual funds. The rate of return and the amount of the periodic payments you eventually receive will vary depending on the performance of the investment options you select. 

READ: SEC’s publication, Variable Annuities: What You Should Know.

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SEC Rule 151-A and Insurance Agents

NAFA Criticizes the SEC

Staff Reportersinsurance-book

Insurance agents without securities licenses won’t be able to sell index annuities under this new proposed rule.

NAFA Opines

The National Association of Fixed Annuities (NAFA) recently took a firm stand against the Security & Exchange Commission’s (SEC) proposed Rule 151A, which would regulate index annuities as securities rather than as insurance products.

Insurance-Securities Hybrid Product

NAFA said in a statement issued in July that it “strongly disagrees with the SEC proposal and will pursue all available avenues of recourse,” including taking legal recourse, if required.

Assessment

NAFA Says Nix SEC Rule 151A.

Conclusion

In other words, if Rule 151A is adopted, insurance agents without securities licenses would not be able to sell Index Annuities [IAs].  IAs are investment products that combine both fixed income investments and equity index options so as to be able to leverage opportunities in both.

Please comment and opine; especially insurance agents, investment advisors and financial planners.

Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com  or Bio: www.stpub.com/pubs/authors/MARCINKO.htm

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