An annuity in it most general sense of nature is a financial agreement between two parties were one organization pays out to the other. This type of transaction usually takes place between a life insurance company and an individual. A few examples of insurance companies who provide annuity products are AllState, Safeco, Monumental Life, AIG, New York Life, and Met Life.
Annuities are classified into many categories including fixed vs variable annuities, immediate vs deffered, single premium vs flexible premium, or qualified vs. non-qualified.
The classification of an annuity can be confusing because they can be classified in all of these categories at one time. An example would be a qualified single premium lifetime fixed annuity. In other words, this annuity is qualifed which means that it will be invested in a tax favored retirement plan such as a 401k or an IRA, the fixed category means that the annuity will be funded by a single payment, and the lifetime fixed categories mean that the annuity will last till the death of the policy holder paying out in guranteed increments earning a set amount of interest.
Benefits of an Annuity
The first benefit to an annuity is the lifetime income. This type of annuity is called a lifetime annuity and can be setup earning a set amount of interest and paid out in either monthly, semi-annual, or annual payments.
The next benefit is the tax benefits of owning an annuity. Capital gains and investment income invested in annuities is not taxable until a withdrawal. Tax deferral on investmeent income is very important because there are no limits to the amount that can be invested in an annuity unlike many other financial vehicles.
The third benefit of owning annuities is the benefit to your heirs. A common misconception about annuities is that when an annuity is funded and the policy holder dies shortly after payment the insurance company keeps all of the investment. This can happen, but this can be avoided by purchasing a guranteed annuity. This guarantees your beneficiaries income after you pass away for the allocated amount of years setup during the policy creation period.
Settlement Quotes does not sell insurance products. SQ is an annuity factoring company providing individuals selling an annuity payment a viable option to get out from underneath a long investment. This option should only be used in severe circumstances.
