It is difficult to answer this questions without having some context and making assumptions.

Did you hear the term "proprietary annuity" from someone who is working in selling an annuity to you?

If so, some financial advisors and insurance agents may have access to annuity products that have unique features that may not be available to all financial advisors.

Insurance companies will sometimes distribute their annuities through what is referred to in the industry as an "independent marketing organization (IMO)".

First, what do you mean by "finished"?

Is your annuity currently providing income to you, or is it in the deferral period before income payments begin?

In either case, an annuity is a contract between you and an insurance company.

The contract will state--very clearly--when the deferral period ends or when annuity payments end (in the event that there is a limit on the amount of time or "term" that payments are made).

M&E fees (also referred to as mortality and expense charges) are part of the expense structure of annuities.  In general, these charges cover the insurance guarantees provided by the insurance company.

A glossary definition of M&E fees is here: http://www.annuitydigest.com/me-fee/definition

The Annuity Digest Buying Guide also discusses annuity expenses.  The chapter on expenses can be found here:

http://www.annuitydigest.com/best-annuity/annuity-fees-and-expenses

Good question.

New York state insurance law does appear to exempt the proceeds of annuity contracts from creditors.

There are, however, clear exceptions to this rule.

Click here to look at the issue in more detail.

An interesting question and a rather extreme scenario I suppose.

As you indicate, the currency can suffer quite a bit of damage through either inflation or deflation.

I am not sure, however, how the contractual obligations would be affected in an insurance or annuity contract if the currency were replaced. 

With regard to an annuity, it will completely depend on the structure of the annuity contract and any additional riders that might be attached to that contract.  At a basic level, the death value can be the initial deposit amount, less any withdrawals and market performance.  Most of the bigger companies provide a somewhat enhanced death benefit.  This usually is the initial

Thanks for reaching-out.

It is generally very difficult if not impossible to provide a simple yes/no answer to this type of question without having much more detail regarding your situation and needs.  That said, here are some things to think about:

The Jackson National AscenderPlus Select generates an annual account statement. 

The statement date is usually around the client's issue date for the product.

I am going to place the answer to this question in the discussion forum, and the thread can be found here: http://www.annuitydigest.com/forum/how-get-rid-variable-annuity

The question basically deals with the issues of revocability and bequest motive--both of which are large issues when it comes to annuities.

The short answer is that there are many products and product options that effectively address revocability and bequest motives.

The longer answer is that it completely depends on: a) the type of annuity that you have or are considering, and; b) any "riders" or additional features the annuity might have that can address your concern.