The full menu or “laundry list” of annuity products and features builds off of the basic list discussed in the previous chapter.

Where relevant, each description below will include a brief comment on how the entry relates to the basic list of annuity types.

The following is a list that links to each of the annuity types discussed in this chapter:

This discussion thread is being created for a question that was originally presented in the FAQ section. 

The question is as follows: "What kind of return can I expect to get from an equity indexed annuity and how long do I have to commit my money?"

The first part of Professor Babbel's presentation looked at the comparative performance of fixed indexed annuities and alternative investments over a 15 year period.

This next set of slides looks at performance over a much longer time period--dating back to January 1926. 

Lincoln Benefit Life Company is a specialized firm under Allstate Insurance. The company offers a wide range of products and services including annuities. By the end of 2008, the company protected its policy owners with $344.3 billion of life insurance in-force. The company has been in business since 1938. Annuity-based products include fixed annuities, variable annuities, market value adjusted annuities, equity indexed annuities and immediate annuities.

A recent article in Forbes magazine discusses the pros and cons of equity indexed annuities.

On the negative side the author makes a high level reference to costs and questions whether equity indexed annuity owners receive fair value for what they pay.

There are fewer insurance companies offering equity indexed annuity products.

Thirteen insurers have exited the market since the end of 2008. 

Included among the exits are some better known names such as Principal Financial Group, Genworth Financial, Transamerica, Monumental Life and Protective Life. 

Many of the companies exiting the market have equity indexed sales that are not a significant part of their overall business.