Annuities: A Solution in Funding a Long Retirement
If you retire at age 65, how will you fund the next stage of your life? Annuities offer a flexible way to fund lengthy retirements.
For Long-Term Goals
Issued by a life insurance company, an annuity contract allows you to accumulate money for long-term goals. Unlike IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans, there are no limits on the amount you can contribute to an annuity. Amounts above a certain threshold will require insurance company approval, however.
It can be an excellent supplemental retirement savings vehicle and offers a range of other benefits, including:
- Tax deferral. Instead of paying taxes on your earnings each year, they grow tax deferred until withdrawal. A word of warning: Ordinary income taxes on accrued earnings are due upon withdrawal. If you make withdrawals before age 59.5, you may also incur a 10 percent federal early withdrawal penalty. Many annuities also charge surrender fees for withdrawals during the early years of the contract.
- Choice of accumulation alternatives. You can choose from two basic types of annuities: fixed and variable. The main advantages of a fixed annuity are the protection of principal and security against market fluctuations. You generally receive a guaranteed minimum rate of return for a specific period of time-guarantees are based on the claims-paying ability of the issuing company. With a variable annuity, you can seek potential opportunities in the investment markets and obtain professional money management. You choose from a range of portfolios designed specifically for annuities; typically, these portfolios are comprised of stocks, bonds, or money market securities. Your returns are based on the performance of the underlying portfolios.
- Flexible payout options. When you're ready to withdraw money, select the payout option that best suits your situation and needs. You may choose a single lump sum, periodic payments for a length of time, or payments guaranteed to last for your lifetime. IBI