Advantages and Disadvantages of Annuities

29-Apr-2012

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Advantages of Annuities

Annuities are among the most unique types of investments available, and there are many reasons why investors look to them as a key retirement savings vehicle. Some of the key benefits provided by annuities are:

Tax Deferral – Annuities stand alone as the only investment that is inherently accorded tax-deferred status. All money invested into annuities of any kind grows tax-deferred until it is withdrawn. Annuities have no limit on the amount of money that can be placed into them, and there are also no income phase out schedules that apply to contract owners or annuitants. This gives them a substantial advantage over Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) and qualified plans for wealthy investors who can shelter millions of dollars from taxation inside these contracts.

Guaranteed Payout – Annuitants that choose any type of life payout option can rest assured that they will receive some sort of payment until they die, even if they completely exhaust the value of the contract beforehand.

Protection from Probate and Creditors – Annuity contracts are generally exempt from creditors in most cases and are unconditionally exempt from probate proceedings nationwide. Exemption from creditors can vary somewhat from one state to another; for more information on this matter, call your state insurance commissioner.

Exemption from FAFSA Asset Status – Parents and students who apply for financial aid do not have to list any annuity contracts that they own as assets on the Free Application Of Student Aid (FAFSA) form. This can obviously make a huge difference in the amount and terms of loans and grants that the student is eligible to receive.

Disadvantages of Annuities

Despite their benefits, annuity contracts can also present several disadvantages to investors, although they will vary considerably from one investor to another and depend upon various factors. The main drawbacks of annuities are listed as follows:

Costs and Fees – Annuities are one of the most expensive types of investments available in the financial marketplace. A breakdown of the fees for each type of annuity will be provided in later sections.

Illiquidity – Most annuity contracts charge stiff surrender penalties for early withdrawal, plus a 10% premature distribution penalty to investors who take withdrawals before age 59 ½ (see below).

Complexity – Although annuities can provide tremendous benefits for investors when used correctly, they are by nature complex instruments, especially indexed and variable contracts. Even experienced investors have difficulty understanding these vehicles, and a great deal of education is required in order to sufficiently educate clients in how they work.

Taxation – All withdrawals received from an annuity contract that are not considered to be a return of principal are taxed as ordinary income, regardless of the holding period of the contract (see below). There is no chance to qualify for capital gains treatment.

Annuity Withdrawal Penalties

As mentioned previously, most annuity contracts have a back-end declining surrender charge schedule that usually expires anywhere from one to ten years from the date of purchase. The surrender charge in the first year can be as high as 10 or even 15%, then declines by a percent or two each year before expiring. However, many annuity carriers allow investors to access some or all of the funds in their contracts under certain conditions, listed as follows:

Hardship or Disability – Contract owners who experience a medical or other emergency can apply for a partial or total withdrawal under these circumstances. In many cases the annuity carrier will permit the owner to withdraw some or all of the contract value at no charge.

Partial Withdrawal -Many annuity contracts allow owners to access a portion of their contract values (usually around 10%) each year for any reason. This window generally remains open until the surrender charge schedule expires.

Free Look Period – Virtually all annuity contracts have a free look period, during which the owner can return the contract for a full refund. For example, according to the SEC, variable annuities have a free look period of ten or more days.

Taxation of Annuities

Annuities stand alone in the investment world as unique vehicles in which all interest and other earnings grow tax-deferred until they are withdrawn. However, no tax deduction of any kind can be taken for contributions to annuities, unless the contract is purchased inside an IRA or qualified plan and funded with contributions to the plan or account. If this is the case, all distributions taken from qualified annuities are fully taxable as ordinary income because of the contribution deduction. All normal annuity distributions from non-qualified contracts consist of a combination of earnings and principal. Therefore each distribution is only partially taxable, as the portion of principal that is returned in each payment is tax-free. The taxable portion of annuities is calculated by using the Exclusion Ratio, which is a fraction that divides the amount of principal invested by the total value of the contract. If an investor purchases a $50,000 annuity and it grows to $150,000 after 30 years, then a third of each payment is considered a tax-free return of principal. The remaining balance is taxed as ordinary income. After the investor has recovered all of his or her principal from the contract, 100% of each remaining payment is taxed as ordinary income.

Distribution Penalties

Annuities have the same 10% early withdrawal penalty for investors under age 59 ½ as IRAs and qualified plans. This penalty will be assessed on top of any early withdrawal penalties charged by the contract. Annuitants must also begin taking distributions at age 70 ½, regardless of whether the contract is inside an IRA or qualified plan or not. Failure to do so will result in a 50% penalty being assessed upon the amount of distributions that should have been taken.


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