An annuity is a contract between you and the insurance company. The insurance company promises to pay you certain amount of money. This can be on periodic basis until a certain period. This is very useful as a retirement income plan. The funds are contributed on a guarantee that you will get a certain amount of money every month. The annuities are purchased only when the investor needs a guarantee periodic income during their retirement years
Most of these annuities reduce your taxable earnings for the current year. This helps your investment to grow tax-free until you begin to draw an income from them. Many young investors are attracted by this feature.
These are mostly long-term investment and are meant as retirement planning instrument. Thus, they have a penalty for the investors if they withdraw funds before investing for a minimum number of years. The tax advantages encourage young investors to prolong their investing period before withdrawing funds. The annuities also offer withdrawals of 10 – 15 percent of the fund during emergency without penalty.
If you are going for an immediate annuity, you can contribute a lump sum to the annuity account. You can instantly begin to receive payments. These are in fixed amount or variable depending on your choice. These provide you income throughout your life and are a security for your old age.
On the other hand, deferred annuities are structured to meet a different type investor. In this, you will have to contribute and acquire capital over your working life. This small investment grows and you will draw an income during your old age.
The main benefits of tax sheltering are immense. It lowers your taxable income and thus gives you better tax saving opportunity. The tax savings of yours can be compounded and give you substantial amount of money after a few years.
Stocks tend to remain highly volatile and bonds are never as attractive as Annuities. Moreover, annuities are managed by professional money managers and are designed for retirement planning for individuals, so there is a guaranteed return feature which is not present in stock investments. Bonds on the other hand do not cover all the advantages that annuities offer, especially they are not flexible.
You will earn less once you retire and with the help of these, you will always in the lower bracket of the tax. This entire process will give you heavy tax savings on your investments.
The main aim of annuity is to provide a stable income for a long-time. The periodic amount is figured by the insurance company with the help of a mathematical model.
The main quality of annuity is its tax-sheltered growth. You can get long-term returns with the help of the annuity. You can get a peace of mind and enjoy the guaranteed income and tax benefits.
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11 March 2011
Besides the tax advantages, annuities are liquid, provide safety of principal (fixed and indexed annuities), and provide an income for life.