• Probate Avoidance
• Financial Legacy and Bequest Motives
• Asset Protection
• Suitability
• Interest Rates
• Guaranteed Death Benefits

Farm Bureau Insurance offers its customers insurance policies and financial planning. These include: permanent life, term life, other insurance, auto, homeowners, retirement planning, estate planning, and business planning. Some product descriptions include:

1) Whole Life: Whole life insurance is the most common type of permanent insurance. The policy provides a guaranteed death benefit along with guaranteed cash values. Part of each premium payment is applied to the policy's cash value account, which grows on a tax-deferred basis.

The Slovene National Benefit Society is a non-profit insurance organization founded in 1904 aimed at providing insurance plans for the local community, namely in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It offers a wide range of products that include Whole Life, Term Life, Annuities, and IRA plans. Some product descriptions include: 1) Whole Life: Whole life insurance is the most common type of permanent insurance. The policy provides a guaranteed death benefit along with guaranteed cash values.

Presidential Life is a provider of fixed deferred and immediate annuities and life insurance products to financial service professionals and their clients across the United States. Presidential Life annuity offerings fall under the following areas: 1) Flexible Premium Deferred Annuity (FPDA): An FPDA is a tax-deferred annuity that will accept multiple premium payments while the annuity is in an accumulation period. FPDA annuities may accept salary reduction payments, bank draft or pre-authorized check plan payments, transfers, rollovers, and single sum direct payments.

The Polish Union of American is a fraternal organization that features charitable, spiritual, and social programs, as well as promoting Polish culture and heritage. It also provides a full array of current Life Insurance Plans, Annuities, Residential and Commercial Mortgages, and College Scholarships. Products include: 1) Flexible Premium Deferred Annuity (FPDA): An FPDA is a tax-deferred annuity that will accept multiple premium payments while the annuity is in an accumulation period.

First United American Life Insurance Company is a New York subsidiary of United American Insurance Company. Since its beginnings more than 20 years ago, First United American has maintained its financial stability, while experiencing tremendous growth.

There are many, many different types of annuities. 

To begin with, it makes sense to think about the general definition of an annuity.  An annuity is a contract that converts a sum of money into a series of periodic payments for an agreed upon period of time. An annuity can be thought of as a financial vehicle that converts a pool of money into a stream of income.

There has been a ton of recent discussion in the press about the financial health of life and annuity insurance companies.  In particular, there has been discussion surrounding the health of insurance companies that have provided living benefit guarantees that accompany variable annuities.

It is perfectly reasonable to be concerned about the ability of insurers to make good on their financial commitments.  With annuities, many of the contracts are long-term and involve large amounts of money that represent a significant portion of the policuholder's net worth.

Annuities are products that combine insurance and, in the case of variable annuities, asset management.  Costs are absolutely critical, so definitely ask you financial advisor to spell-out the costs for each of the items discussed below.