General Retirement Planning

Annuities and life insurance are both excellent investments, but that is where the similarities end. There are many differences between annuities and life insurance. In fact, they are completely...

A fixed annuity can be a great investment for someone close to retirement who wishes to receive income for life. Annuity payments are sent monthly by their respective companies and accumulate...

Five days a week, 52 weeks a year, Americans pour their talent and sweat into their work, fueling the largest economy in the world. After decades of working, some choose to retire, relax and get...

There are two types of deferred annuities, and both types share some of the rules regarding taxation of withdrawals. However, there are certain tax rules that only apply to one type of deferred...

Annuities are often an attractive retirement planning tool because many offer the promise of lifetime income, eliminating the possibility that you will run out of money in retirement. The...

An annuity is a financial product that allows you to deposit money either in a lump sum or over a period of time in return for periodic payments beginning immediately or at a specified future...

An annuity is a contract in which you deposit money with an insurance company; in return, the company guarantees you periodic payments over a certain period. Annuity payments often begin in...

An annuity is a contract between an individual (annuitant) and an insurance company that guarantees the individual specific payments on a regular basis for a specified period of time, usually the...

Annuities can either be immediate or deferred. A deferred annuity places money into an account and allows it to grow under a tax-deferred umbrella until you need the money. A variable immediate...

Annuities are used by investors for income during their retirement years. There are different types of annuities contracts sold by insurance companies: Fixed, variables, immediate, deferred. One...

An immediate annuity is an insurance product in which you give a lump sum of money to an insurance company or other provider in exchange for guaranteed payments over a specified period of time,...

An annuity is a retirement product in which you make one or more contributions to an insurance company. In return, the company promises to make periodic payments to you for a specified period in...

An annuity is a contract with an insurance company. You make one contribution, or a series of contributions, and the insurer guarantees you regular payments in retirement, usually for the rest of...

Annuities are tax-deferred investment vehicles that have become popular over recent decades. They are offered through insurance companies and provide investors flexible investment options often...

Insurance agents often take advantage of seniors to earn large commissions by selling annuities. Elder abuse includes annuities and financial abuse. Anyone over the age of 62 who has bought an...

Annuities are one of the most powerful retirement products a person can own. Multiple types of annuities exist, each with different features and goals. Members of the baby boom generation are...

Retirement planning is a major area of concern for people of all ages. Studies show that over one half of U.S. households are not saving at all and two thirds are underfunding their retirement...

An immediate annuity, sometimes called a single-premium immediate annuity, is a retirement income product sold by insurance companies. A person (annuitant) purchases an annuity by making a single...

Immediate annuities provide people a guaranteed paycheck for life. Today, many people do not have pensions to help them in retirement. Immediate annuities may be something those people should...

Annuities are an attractive option to many investors because they offer the possibility of lifetime income, as opposed to 401ks and IRAs, where there is the possibility of outliving your...

There are many investment vehicles that can be used to save into or take income out of to fund one's retirement. Here is a brief introduction to three common retirement savings...

Fixed annuities are contracts issued by insurance companies that generate income the annuitant is guaranteed to never outlive. Fixed annuities are a very safe way to generate retirement income...

With the recent market downturn, many seniors are looking to see if an income annuity is right for them. Because loss of principal can occur in any investment, it is best to have a diversified...

Marketing annuities can be challenging because many people are still uninformed of annuities and their benefits. If you are an insurance agent or financial adviser, there are many things you can...

Fixed annuities are increasing in appeal because they grow tax-free apart from the stock market. In today's up-and-down stock market, a fixed annuity could be a definite plus. Yet, this safety...

If you have a lump sum of money that you want to convert into income, consider buying an immediate annuity. Use your savings, the proceeds of a 401k plan or any other accumulation of funds to...

It's never too early to start planning for life after employment by making a retirement budget. In fact, the most important principle that makes a retirement budget work is the power of...

When buying an annuity, find out who is being dealt with, how much can be given to a contract, when the contract is due, and how much money can be expected to come back from the contract. Learn...

In most states, an exam must be passed in order for a person to sell an annuity as a licensed agent. Find out what companies are interested in selling annuities for cash with help from a licensed...

Annuities are simply an agreement between an individual and an insurance company, and they are comparable to a contract. Discover how annuities can explain what monies an individual is getting...

Annuities are essentially contracts that have two phases, a building phase and a phase in which a person gets their money back. Learn to get rid of the fear surrounding annuities with help from a...

Variable annuities are investment contracts issued by life insurance companies. Traditionally annuities were always based on fixed interest rates. Variable annuities provide the potential for...

Annuities are an insurance-company product that provides periodic payments over a specified period of time. There are two basic types of annuities: variable and fixed. In a variable annuity, the...

When it comes to retirement, one of the biggest concerns people have is outliving their money. An annuity can help alleviate this concern by providing a payment that is guaranteed for a specific...

An annuity is a contract between an annuitant and an insurance company. The annuitant makes an initial investment, or ongoing contributions over time, so the insurance company will later pay out...

Annuities are generally set up to guarantee a fixed income once you stop working. Although there are various types of annuities, all are beneficial in that they can help protect against outliving...

A fixed annuity is a contract that guarantees the payment of a specific amount for a length of time, usually ending with your death. Unlike other annuities, the insurance company assumes the risk...

In recent weeks the financial markets have been in utter turmoil. Massive failures, forced mergers and unprecedented losses have all but wiped out Wall Street. Credit markets are frozen, and banks...

By the time you are retired hopefully you already have a nice nest egg and you are simply looking to preserve capital as well as make moderate gains in your investments. Here are some tips on how...

If you are buying an annuity for your retirement you may be wondering how to get higher returns, since typical fixed annuities offer a percentage rate that is comparable to money markets and CDs....

A 403(b) retirement plan allows employees of certain tax-exempt organizations to save for retirement.