Is an Annuity Insurance?
Is an Annuity Life Insurance? You would be surprised how many people begin their online Annuity search for information on Annuities and Income Annuities by typing in that very search question. The best answer I’ve heard is ‘Annuities are the opposite of Life Insurance.’ Though technically, both Annuities and Life Insurance are issued by Insurance Companies and are much closer to first cousins than opposites.
For the most part, Life Insurance is readily defined by almost anyone, Life Insurance pays someone money when you die. Though Annuities have been around for centuries and utilized by the likes of Benjamin Franklin and other founding visionaries; ‘Annuity’ is still not a household word. Simply, Annuities pay you if you live. Ultimately, Life Insurance is there if you die too soon and Annuity Payments are there if you live too long. That truly is about as opposite as it gets, technicalities aside for a moment.
Annuities come in all shapes and sizes and are traditionally sold by insurance agents. Most insurance agents work directly for insurance companies and often times only have a few company sponsored Annuities in their respective quiver. That does not mean that the products are not sound nor that the agents are doing anything illicit. Many are just limited through captive agreements with their sponsoring company and many times can not go too far outside that traditional approach to Insurance and Annuity Sales. It always benefits you to do your own research on Annuities and understand exactly the type of Annuity that is best for you.
There are many different types of Annuities and a variety of features and riders beyond that, creating a seemingly infinite number of options and things to consider. A good Annuity specialist is important if you have already decided or have already been advised on repositioning some of your long term, conservative savings into an Annuity or if you are contemplating a Lifetime Income Annuity. Guaranteed and realized rates can vary greatly between companies and Annuity products; …..and they do change. Whether you are looking for an Annuity for a fixed period of time with a guaranteed rate, an Indexed Annuity to benefit from potential market increases with minimum guarantees, an Immediate Annuity for a lifetime income that is guaranteed or a custom Split Annuity; it certainly benefits you to have someone who specializes and keeps current on all products.
Outliving your productive life and running out of savings is as much a concern as you age as dying prematurely and leaving a family behind was when you purchased your first Life Insurance Policy. An Annuity can go a long way towards satisfying that same emotional void or uncertainty that you felt before you bought Life Insurance. The good part is you do not have to die to get paid this time, especially if you live to be 100.
AnnuityPayment.org is a resource for anyone who desires to learn more about Annuities, their overall suitability, types and nuances.
Thanks for the nice post. I always like to bookmark insurance or annuity related posts like this one.