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Annuities

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

January 9, 2020 By Liz Weston

Today’s top story: Here’s what bad financial advice can cost you. Also in the news: VA home loan limits disappear, fees rise, FAFSA and the military draft, and key questions to ask before buying that annuity.

Here’s What Bad Financial Advice Costs You
Don’t make someone else rich at your expense.

VA Home Loan Limits Disappear, Fees Rise
Changes to the program.

Will the FAFSA Get Me Drafted Into the Military?
Separating truth from fiction.

These are the key questions to ask before buying that annuity
What you need to know before signing on the dotted line.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: Annuities, bad financial advice, FAFSA, financial advice, military draft, selective service, VA home loans

How to mess up a variable annuity

August 6, 2019 By Liz Weston

Variable annuities are complex insurance products — so complex that what people actually buy and what they think they’re buying may be quite different. Those misunderstandings can end up costing them, or their heirs, a lot of money.

For the uninitiated: Variable annuities are insurance company contracts that allow people to invest money in a tax-deferred account for retirement. Returns can vary according to how the investments perform (that’s the “variable” in “variable annuity”). These contracts typically include death benefits guaranteeing your heirs will get the amount you’ve invested, and perhaps more. Many variable annuities also have living benefits, which guarantee the amount you can withdraw during your lifetime. In my latest for the Associated Press, how all these guarantees come at a cost, which can make variable annuities expensive to own.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: Annuities, variable annuities

Q&A: Annuities have indirect costs

April 10, 2017 By Liz Weston

Dear Liz: Thank for your right-on reply to the reader who claimed that fixed and indexed annuities were available at no cost to investors. I am so tired of hearing from agents and investors that their annuity is great and does not have fees!

Answer: Insurance companies aren’t charities providing investments at no cost. They’re businesses that have to keep the lights on and pay the people who sell their products. With fixed and indexed annuities, the cost is built into the interest rate spread, which is the difference between what the insurer earns on your money and what it pays into your account. The investor pays an indirect cost, rather than a direct cost that’s explicitly disclosed.

Filed Under: Annuities, Q&A Tagged With: Annuities, q&a

Q&A: Annuities and fees

March 27, 2017 By Liz Weston

Dear Liz: I must object to a point you made in a recent column. You wrote: “…Also, annuities often have high fees, so you’d need to shop carefully and understand how the surrender charges work.” To write “…annuities often have high fees” is misleading, because there are annuities that don’t have fees, such as fixed annuities and indexed annuities. Coupling that phrase about fees with the admonition “you’d need to shop carefully and understand how the surrender charges work” is also a disservice to the public. Of course, an investor has to understand surrender charges! Just like if they try to end a bank CD too soon, there’s a penalty, or if they try to get out of a real estate deal incorrectly, or if they commit some other kind of breach of contract. That doesn’t mean that annuities are bad investments, especially when their principal is guaranteed, and no fees to pay.

Answer: Thanks for bringing up two areas of confusion that are actually linked.

All investments have costs. Many, including mutual funds and variable annuities, explicitly state their fees. With fixed and indexed annuities, the cost isn’t disclosed. Instead, it’s built into the interest rate spread — the difference between what the insurer earns on your money and what it pays into your account, said financial planner Michael Kitces, partner and director of financial planning research at Pinnacle Advisory Group in Columbia, Md.

“In other words, if the annuity company pays 2.5% on its annuity, it likely earned closer to 3% or 3.5% in the first place,” Kitces said. The insurer keeps the remainder to recover commissions paid to the insurance agent and the annuity’s own profit margins, he said.

Indexed annuities are a little more complicated. These promise investors they will get a certain portion of the return earned by some market benchmark while protecting them from market losses. The insurers use the spread to cover their overhead costs, profits and commissions. But instead of paying the remaining yield into your account, insurers use the money to purchase options that provide the promised participation rate in the index, said Kitces, who writes the Nerd’s Eye View blog at kitces.com.

Either way, surrender charges encourage people to stay invested long enough for the insurance company to get back enough money from the interest rate spread to cover the cost of commissions. If people need their money during the first few years, the surrender charge they pay is designed to make up the difference between what the insurer paid out and what it has received from the yield spread. Surrender charges are typically around 7% to 9% and may persist for seven or more years, although the penalty declines over time.

You’ve heard that “there’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Investors need to understand that they’re paying a price for their investments, even if they can’t see the money directly coming out of their pockets. Costs are a drag on investor returns and how big their portfolios can grow. That’s why it’s important to minimize those costs. When insurers don’t disclose the costs, it’s hard to know how much you’re giving up compared to what you could earn from another investment.

Filed Under: Investing, Q&A Tagged With: Annuities, q&a

Friday’s need-to-know money news

June 17, 2016 By Liz Weston

bankruptcy_formToday’s top story: How to find a bankruptcy attorney. Also in the news: What consumers need to know about annuities, signs you need a new financial advisor, and what millennials should know about life insurance.

How to Find a Bankruptcy Attorney
Making the right selection.

What Consumers Need to Know About Annuities
Combining life insurance with investment.

7 Signs You Need a New Financial Advisor
When it’s time to go in another direction.

The First 4 Things Millennials Should Know About Life Insurance
Thinking long term.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: Annuities, Bankruptcy, bankruptcy attorneys, financial advisors, life insurance, millennials

Thursday’s need-to-know money news

June 25, 2015 By Liz Weston

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailToday’s top story: Why applying for a credit card can hurt your credit score. Also in the news: Things on your credit report that might scare off lenders, why couples don’t talk enough about retirement planning, and when is the right time to consider annuities.

Here’s Why Applying for a Credit Card Hurts Your Credit Score
You may want to think twice before applying.

5 Things on Your Credit Report That Might Scare a Lender
Things to watch out for.

Study: Couples Don’t Talk Enough About Retirement Plans
Huge mistake.

When to Consider Annuities If You Want to Safeguard Your Retirement
Making the right decision.

Filed Under: Liz's Blog Tagged With: Annuities, Credit Cards, Credit Score, Retirement, retirement plans, retirement savings

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