Annuity

An annuity comes in many forms, but a simple definition is that 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. Annuities are most useful in addressing the financial planning needs of people in or approaching retirement. Annuities are unique in the financial world because they can provide protection against the risk or outliving one’s assets (longevity risk) by guaranteeing income payments in perpetuity or any other selected amount of time. Annuities can be viewed as a type of personal pension plan. Social Security is similar to an annuity in that money contributed over the course of one’s working years is converted into a series of periodic payments that provide income during retirement.

Pros and Cons of Surrendering an Annuity

The Indy Star has published a good article on the pros and cons of surrendering an annuity. Some high level considerations include: Fees and expenses Taxes due on capital gains Loss of death benefit Loss of tax deferred gains Source: Indy Star Full Story
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What are the downsides of a GLWB rider for the annuitant?

This question is answered and open for discussion in the forum section and can be accessed by clicking on the following:

http://www.annuitydigest.com/forum/cons-guaranteed-lifetime-withdrawal-benefit-glwb

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MetLife Reports Strong Operating Earnings and Variable Annuity Gains

Life and annuity insurer MetLife reported strong operating results for the second quarter. Earnings from operations exceeded analyst forecasts and came in at $723 million for the quarter. Derivatives losses of $1.8 billion affected reported net income . MetLife's variable annuity business is strong with deposits increasing 27% to a record $4.5 billion in the second quarter of 2009. This stands in contrast to rival Hartford Financial which reported variable annuity deposits of $701 million for...
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