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Accumulation · protection · retirement income
Annuities can add contract-based guarantees and optional income to an appropriate portion of retirement assets. Suitability depends on liquidity, time horizon, costs, tax circumstances and income needs.
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An annuity can provide tax-deferred accumulation, contract-based principal and interest guarantees, or scheduled income. It should be evaluated as one part of a broader retirement strategy rather than a replacement for emergency savings or near-term liquidity.
A fixed annuity credits interest at a declared or contractually defined rate and provides guarantees established by the issuing insurer.
A fixed indexed annuity calculates interest using an external market index while protecting contract value from direct negative index performance, subject to the insurer's terms.
Immediate and deferred income annuities can convert premium into scheduled payments. Options can cover one life, two lives or a guaranteed period, and those elections can affect payment amounts and access to principal.
Questions to ask
An annuity is a long-term contract with an insurance company that can accumulate value, create scheduled income or do both. Contract guarantees depend on the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurer.
No. Interest credits are calculated using an external index and contract rules such as caps, participation rates or spreads. The owner does not directly own the index or receive its dividends.
Contracts commonly allow some access, but withdrawals may be limited and can trigger surrender charges, market-value adjustments, taxes or reductions to future benefits. The specific contract controls.
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