Fixed Annuity Choices - Significant Considerations

When it comes to fixed annuity choices you have two basic types to select from - the immediate annuity and the deferred annuity.

If you opt to enroll in a plan that offers an immediate annuity, you will receive a check from the company anytime within twelve months of signing on the dotted line. An immediate annuity also offers you the choice of receiving the check every year for a specific pre-determined number of years or whether you just want to keep receiving the checks every year for the duration of your entire lifetime. In the latter case the insurance company will figure out how much each payment will be based on how much insurance you bought in the first place and the length of your projected life expectancy.

A deferred annuity is a little more complicated. It is a two-step type plan. During the first phase of the plan, known as the accumulation plan, your money is invested and allowed to grow in bulk. Taxes on this investment are deferred until you should choose to withdraw the money out, either as a series of payments or as one lump sum. The second phase of the plan is this payout phase

When it comes to fixed annuity choices many people opt for the deferred annuity because it offers more control over your money -especially over the dates when you can withdraw the money. The benefit of this is that you decide when to pay the taxes on income incurred from your fixed annuity.

When assessing your fixed annuity choices it is probably a good idea to assess whether or not you are going to need to withdraw the money before retirement. If you think you will need money before you retire then the deferred annuity is a better choice as it offers more flexibility in both what amounts you can take out and when you can withdraw the funds.

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Compare A Fixed Annuity Rate The Easy Way

The best way to compare a fixed annuity rate is to get on the Internet and visit one of the many brokerage style sites that have collected information about the various deals that are available from different life insurance companies. Simply type ?compare fixed annuity rate? in a popular search engine such as MSN or Google and hundreds of online comparison charts and product comparison sheets will turn up in the search engine result pages.

Some insurance company sites also just have a page titled compare fixed annuity rate. Within these pages is where you can find exactly the type of insurance that you are looking for.

Another great thing about these insurance companies is that they are usually very insurance friendly when it comes to online customer support. If they don't actually provide an online chat forum then many of them offer to answer your questions directly by email. Also unlike most web sites that are run by big faceless banking corporations you can find the telephone number of a live person to speak to as an insurance company can hardly wait to have you deal with one of their customer representatives in person.

Surprising the insurance companies are very user friendly as well as quite friendly to their competition. One trend lately among insurance companies who offer a page titled something like ?compare fixed annuity rate? is to include the names and amounts offered by their competitors even if they are a better deal then what is offered! Supposedly this willingness to pass the hat to their competitors is based on the idea if that you think that they are honest enough to do that then the insurance company will be completely honest in all of their dealings with you. However it is not necessarily the best idea to fall for this when comparing fixed insurance rates - always go for the deal that is best for you.

Tiffany Walker has finally revealed her annuity secrets online. Read the latest by clicking here: Compare Fixed Annuity Rate.

Best Fixed Annuity Coverage - How To Find It

To get the best fixed rate annuity coverage you definitely need to shop around to find a good deal. The easiest way to do this is to get on the Internet and start comparing insurance rates. There are hundreds of sites on the World Wide Web that specialize in offering charts and product sheets so that you can compare different offers side by side. These types of insurance comparison web sites that make it quick and easy for anyone to compare different offers and interest rates, even if you have never taken out insurance or a pension before.

The reason that most people end up paying too much for their fixed annuity plans is that they don't bother to shop around for the best annuity coverage. It is such a tedious job that sometimes they just take the first deal that they run across.

This is just not the way to go about shopping for the best fixed annuity coverage. You should at least go to the same type of time and trouble that you would to shop around to find the best credit cars, mortgage or car insurance. You should also do this in a short amount of time as it is inevitable that the insurance company will eventually ask for your social insurance number. This of course is used to check your credit rating, which can also have an impact on the rate of interest that you are offered.

Another thing to look at, besides price is just exactly what the plan actually covers. Just because it is cheap does not mean it is the best fixed annuity coverage for you. Finding the ideal plan can mean taking many other things into consideration besides price including fees, the price of withdrawal penalties and the structure of the plan. Most of this information can be found in the fine print of your agreement with the company, which of course you should ask to see and read thoroughly before signing on the dotted line.

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Online Annuity Calculator - Do You Need One?

One popular perk that many insurance companies and insurance brokers are offering nowadays is an online annuity calculator. To find one of these all you have to do is type the words ?online annuity calculator? into a popular search engine like Google or Yahoo and you will be presented with scores of insurance companies urging you to try out the latest calculating gadget on their web site.

Of course you don't necessarily need an online calculator to figure this out. You can use your very own non-virtual calculator or a pencil and a piece of paper to figure it out as after all it only means crunching a few numbers. However if you decide to calculate your annuity payments this way be sure to have an eraser handy as well. This is because you will find yourself constantly changing the amounts that you are calculating depending on the terms of the insurance, what kind of insurance it is and whether it is an investment with a fixed or variable interest rate. An online annuity calculator makes this process much easier. Many of the easy to use online calculation programs offered by insurance company and insurance brokerage sites also allow you to save your results so you can vary your input without too much fuss or concern.

The best online annuity calculator is usually to be found on sites that also allow you to compare one offer to another. On many of these sites you can compare over three hundred fixed annuities. Some sites also have calculators to help you compare the kind of income you could get from equity indexed annuities, variable rate annuities and CD-type annuities.

The great thing about using an online annuity calculator is that it can help you determine exactly how this type of secure, tax delayed investment can help ease you into a comfortable future as a senior citizen.

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Fixed Annuity Company - The Concept

The elders of the Presbyterian Church first brought the concept of a fixed annuity company to light in the mid seventeenth century. The idea was to provide a yearly pension for widows and the elderly members of the clergy. The concept of the fixed annuity company hasn't changed much in the present day. Perhaps the only difference is the tax deferment that is characteristic of most modern annuities.

The idea behind an annuity is that they allow you to invest in a tax-free fund for a number of years until you are ready to withdraw money. Once you withdraw from the fund you would be taxed on it as you would regular income. In the financial world the process of providing you with a check that you cash every year from your saved taxed deferred funds is called annuitization.

Every fixed annuity company today will also offer you the guaranteed income for life option. You can also opt to be paid the annuity for a certain specified period of years which of course if very handy if you ever suffer an illness or disability.

There is not really such a thing as a fixed annuity company. If you went through the Yellow Pages you probably would not find such an entity. Most of the time it is an insurance company offering you the fixed annuity. Annuities are also sold through licensed insurance brokers and agents. Using a broker to find an annuity deal is a good idea as it allows you to compare various interest rates offered by different insurance companies.

The reason that it is a good idea to invest in products offered by a fixed annuity company is that if it ever goes out of business that the other insurance companies in the state where the defunct insurance company is are obligated by law to honor the conditions of your annuity.

Tiffany Walker has finally revealed her annuity secrets online. Read the latest by clicking here: Fixed Annuity Company.

Private Annuity Trusts - Supercharge Your Retirement

You have made some great investments in Real Estate or in a Stock Portfolio. Congratulations! Now you are ready to retire on your gains. But wait. To benefit from your investment appreciation, you're going to have to sell some or all of those assets.

If you sell your investment property, you will need to pay capital gains tax to the Federal Government, State, and you will also pay recaptured depreciation. If you're in California, add another 3 1/3% in withholding. That's a huge chunk of change, and a big blow to your savings.

If you sell your stocks, you'll be giving up at least 15% to capital gains. There is also no guarantee that the long term capital gains rate will remain at 15% forever. It could increase down the road.

How can you start receiving income but not get hit with huge amounts of tax?

For real property, there is a 1031 exchange into a tenant in common property. This works well for investors that don't want to manage property anymore, but still enjoy the benefits of real estate ownership. This is a subject covered in many of my previous articles.

There is another powerful concept. It's called a Private Annuity Trust. These trusts have been around since 1939, but until the last few years have primarily been used for Estate Planning purposes. The Private Annuity Trust also works extremely well for Retirement Planning. It is fairly complex to set up and administrate, so many financial planners, real estate brokers, CPAs and Attorneys still don't know much about them.

The procedure is basically this.

1. A Private Annuity Trust is established. You, the seller become the annuitant.

2. A fair market appraisal is done to determine property value.

3. The seller can negotiate a sale price at the appraised value.

4. The property is transferred to the trust and the trust is now the seller of the property and retains the proceeds.

5. The proceeds are invested by trustees (not the annuitant) and an arrangement is made to pay the annuitant (and perhaps their spouse) in monthly payments for the remainder of their lives. The capital gains tax is spread out over the course of your lifetime. If you pass away before your estimated average calculated life span, the remainder of the assets pass to the beneficiaries. The balance will be passed free of Estate Tax, Gift Tax, Generation skipping tax, and Transfer tax. Any capital gains tax still due will be paid before disbursement.

6. Other properties or stocks can be added to the trust at a later time, and recieve the same benefits.

As an example, let's say you have a million dollar gain on a property. You might very well owe 350K in taxes. With a Private Annuity Trust, all one million goes to work for you, and you can receive montyly income for the rest of your life. The exact amount is determined by your age and the time you choose to begin receiving your payments. You have the option to defer receiving payments until the age of 70 1/2. This allows the assets to grow compounding and tax deferred, and allows for greater income in the future.

The trust removes the assets from your estate, as the trust now owns them and the annuitant relinquishes control over how they are invested.

Setting up a Private Annuity Trust can definitely give a turbo boost to your retirement bottom line. Ask yourself, would you rather give a "gift" to the government in a big lump sum, or would you like to pay in small chunks and have the bulk of your profits working for you and earning compounded interest for years to come?

Paula Straub will guide you through the process of keeping your Capital Gains working for you and generating passive income. To receive your invitation to her free teleconference, visit Save Capital Gains Tax

Annuity Leads

It is a challenging job to generate your own annuity leads. If each of its steps is not done properly, you will be throwing your cash in the garbage. It is not very easy to find good annuity leads.

After retirement, most people invest their financial retirement benefits in insurance firms, on the provision that their money is repaid to them on a regular basis. More clearly, the investors buy annuity (the above agreement) from the insurers. With this arrangement, the investors are assured of a regular income through retirement, or thereafter to their successors.

But in some situations such as buying a home, the annuity payments that the investors receive may not be sufficient. At such times, the investors can withdraw a prescribed amount by paying a surcharge to the insurance company. But, this is often found to be uneconomical. To overcome this difficulty, the US government introduced certain provisions by which the retired person can sell his annuity to an approved financial institute that pays a lump sum amount to the person.

Selling of these annuities involves several steps. At first, the retiree goes to a finance organization, fills out a 'request form' called 'annuity lead', and submits the form to the organization. Many people seek the assistance of a broker or an annuity lead provider to generate the annuity leads. It is important to make sure that lead providing company, the broker, and financing institute are certified.

Annuity leads are considered as the most important documents in a money transfer. They contain information such as date of request, private information (like name, address, city, phone and email address), initial investment, source of funds, payment timeframe (usually in number of years), and rate of return. The leads also include the lead reference number, and the date and time of lead generation.

There are some basic precautions to follow while considering annuity lead services. First, a company should never purchase more than they can well afford. It is also important to check whether the lead service is guaranteed or not.

Annuity Buyer provides detailed information on Structured Settlement Annuity Buyer, Annuity Buyer, Annuity Buyer Payments, Annuity Buyer Guides and more. Annuity Buyer is affiliated with Condos For Sale.

Annuity Investment for Retirement

Annuity is an insurance product that can guarantee to receive amount of money regularly as result of investment until the end of annuity contract. Why should you consider annuity investment for your retirement?

Annuity as an insurance product offers insurance benefits such as death benefit, and protection of your investment to beneficiary. While annuity as an investment offers investment benefits such as income protection for life, relatively higher interest rate than CD or any bank investments, and tax deferred benefit.

Insurance companies use your annuity investment to invest in bonds and stock market depends on annuity product you choose. According to its interest rate, annuity can be categorized into fixed annuity and variable annuity.

Fixed annuity is an annuity that can guarantee a minimum annuity payment regularly no matter what happens. While fixed annuity most enemy is inflation, there is fixed annuity variant that may protect your investment against inflation. Instead offers a fixed interest rate, equity indexed annuity set earns to an equity index such as Standard & Poor?s 500 Composite Stock Price Index (the S&P 500).

Variable annuity is the most complex annuity type. Variable annuity only sold by prospectuses, your investment is not guarantee by any party and its value may increase and decrease depends on performance of your investment option.

Many financial experts advice not buy annuity until you have maximize all your other retirement saving such as 401(k) plan and IRA. However, there is an option to use annuity investment as your IRA investment. The advantage of this option is higher interest rate over other kind of investments such as CD. While consequence is there is no additional tax deferral benefit, because IRA is already tax deferred.

Don?t forget to consider about tax, many people want to change to lower tax bracket during their retirement. Well, the decision will vary based on your expectation of retirement lifestyle.

As conclusion, choose well-known insurance company over higher interest rate promise. Request a prospectus, read it, understand it features and benefits as well as fees and charges. Annuity is a complex product, you should contact financial advisor to identify which annuity product or annuity type suit for you. The past do not equal the future rule apply in annuity investment as well as in life.

Allya Reeve is independent writer who run Annuity Reveal website to help most of people who seek out quality yet concise information about buy annuity and sell annuity.

For more information about annuity investment and retirement visit Annuity Investment for Retirement page.

Structured Settlement Annuity Buyer

Annuities are one of the most important and inevitable and lucrative policies for the well being of the senior citizens of America. However, at some crossroads of life one might need to have their future to be planned in a proper way, especially during and after the retirement phase. The best time to buy an annuity is age 55 or older. An annuity is the ideal life planning tool for a senior citizen that comes up to him or her with all the advantages near the end of his life.

A structured settlement annuity is a particular kind of an annuity plan that has its own advantages and disadvantages. A structured settlement means ?by the obligation of a payment that is deferred?. This type of annuity results from the settlement of a personal injury lawsuit. Usually a structured settlement annuity buyer has to make his or her payments over a considerable time or over a period of several years. This kind of annuity plan varies from personal injury accidents and such other mishaps to product liability. It is the fundamental right for a citizen to receive the amount of compensation that he or she deserves if he or she is hurt for some other person. Therefore various insurance companies and agencies buy annuity plans. This plan would be valuable enough to pay a combination of principal and interest over a long period of time. This payment is even possible on the conditions of restrictions regarding the schedule of disbursement.

There are a number of structured settlement companies, however, that offer a number of flexible, individually tailored plans. This is a great leap for those who are structured settlement recipients in receiving a considerable amount of money for their future payments. In one word, a structured settlement helps one to meet today?s needs, turning the future and distant payments into the money one needs today.

Annuity Buyer provides detailed information on Structured Settlement Annuity Buyer, Annuity Buyer, Annuity Buyer Payments, Annuity Buyer Guides and more. Annuity Buyer is affiliated with Condos For Sale.

Annuity Buyer

Annuities are one of the most important and inevitable and lucrative policies for the well being of the senior citizens of America. However, at some crossroads of life one might need to have their future to be planned in a proper way, especially during and after the retirement phase. A senior citizen, or any citizen of age sixty-five and above, has the full right to utilize his or her insurances, life insurances, liquid assets, pension schemes, financial plans and such other things - including retirement plans. But proper planning is key to the secured future. An annuity is the ideal plan for such phases of life.

The best time to buy an annuity is age 55 or older. An annuity is the ideal life planning tool for a senior citizen that comes up to him or her with all the advantages near the end of his life. It is a retirement planning tool and has two basic phases:

(a) The accumulation phase and

(b) The annuitization phase.

In an accumulation phase, a person invests money in an insurance company, a senior settlement plan or an investment company for a considerable period of time. The amount might vary from one investment company to the other, but it is invested in a lump sum. Eventually with the passage of time it earns a rate of return.

However, in the other phase, namely annuitization phase, the person who had been investing money in the accumulation phase has the right to withdraw payments on a regular basis, whether it is in a monthly or annual basis. The person who buys such an annuity plan to secure their post-retirement phase is called the annuity buyer. This annuity buyer has to pay what are called basis points. These are basically the fees for the annuities. The annuity fees or the basis points show a percentage of one?s investment.

Annuity Buyer provides detailed information on Structured Settlement Annuity Buyer, Annuity Buyer, Annuity Buyer Payments, Annuity Buyer Guides and more. Annuity Buyer is affiliated with Condos For Sale.

Annuity Buyer Guides

Annuities are one of the most important and inevitable and lucrative policies for the well being of the senior citizens of America. However, at some crossroads of life one might need to have their future to be planned in a proper way, especially during and after the retirement phase. A senior citizen, anyone of age sixty-five and above, has the full right to utilize his or her insurances, life insurances, liquid assets, pension schemes, financial plans and such other things including the retirement plans. Proper planning is key to the secured future. An annuity is the ideal plan for such phases of life.

The best age to buy an annuity is 55 or older. An annuity is the ideal life planning tool for a senior citizen that comes up to him or her with all the advantages near the end of his life. The person who buys such an annuity plan to secure their post-retirement phase is called the annuity buyer. This annuity buyer has to pay what are called basis points. These are basically the fees for the annuities. The annuity fees or the basis points show a percentage of one?s investment. But one has to be very careful before committing him or herself in buying such annuities. There are a lot of guides on the issue that sometimes prove to be of great use to those who are thinking of buying such annuities. There are books available in the market and there are a lot of online resources as well to guide you through the dos, don?ts and other aspects of annuities.

An example would clear out the importance of annuity buyer guides. All the basic lucrative returns of an annuity is already known to us, but one should pay attention to the fact that one can't withdraw the money until one is 59? or one is hit with a 10% penalty. There a lot of other such little things about which one should have a prior knowledge. This is where the annuity buyer guides come in useful.

Annuity Buyer provides detailed information on Structured Settlement Annuity Buyer, Annuity Buyer, Annuity Buyer Payments, Annuity Buyer Guides and more. Annuity Buyer is affiliated with Condos For Sale.

Annuity Buyer Payments

An annuity is the ideal life planning tool for a senior citizen that comes up to him or her with all the advantages near the end of his life. It is a retirement planning tool and has two basic phases:

The accumulation phase and

(d) The annuitization phase.

It is during the accumulation phase that an annuity buyer has to make the payments. In an accumulation phase, a person invests money in an insurance company, a senior settlement plan or an investment company for a considerable period of time. The amount might vary from one investment company to the other, but it is invested in a lump sum. Eventually with the passage of time it earns a rate of return.

In the other phase, the annuitization phase, the person who had been investing money in the accumulation phase has the right to withdraw payments in a regular basis, whether it is in a monthly or annual basis. The person who buys such an annuity plan to secure their post-retirement phase is called the annuity buyer. This annuity buyer has to pay what are called basis points. These are basically the fees for the annuities. The annuity fees or the basis points show a percentage of one?s investment. Another important thing regarding the annuity buyer?s payments is the Mortality and expense (M&E).

Mortality and expense are those which are charged by the various insurance companies and agencies in order to provide an annuity buyer with a lifetime income. This fee is also charged to the beneficiaries with a death benefit of the annuity buyer.

There are three types of annuities that require three types of payment modes. They are:

(a) Fixed annuity, which incorporates the ""mortality and expense"" (or M&E) fee, the sub account fee, and the annual contract maintenance charge. The sub account fee covers the cost of one?s annuity investment account management. However, the annual fee is quite flatly charged and is on an average $30.

(b) Variable annuity

(c) Equity-indexed annuity

There are no up-front fees or charges for the latter two categories.

Annuity Buyer provides detailed information on Structured Settlement Annuity Buyer, Annuity Buyer, Annuity Buyer Payments, Annuity Buyer Guides and more. Annuity Buyer is affiliated with Condos For Sale.

What Is A Split Annuity?

The Split Annuity is a combination of an immediate annuity and a deferred annuity, structured to provide immediate income, much of which is after tax dollars (return of premium), while returning the original premium (before taxes).

The income is guaranteed for the length of the contract, while the deferred dollars grow at current, tax-deferred interest rates.

A single premium is used to fund the Split Annuity. Annuity Companies issue two contracts, one for the guaranteed income and one for tax deferred growth.

The Split Annuity offers a guaranteed monthly income.

The Split Annuity features competitive interest rates, tax-deferred growth and partial withdrawal options.

The Split Annuity is flexible. A new income stream may be developed from the deferred annuity proceeds at a later date. The deferred annuity also allows for additional partial withdrawals, plus the continued tax-deferred growth eventually ?replaces? the immediate annuity premium.

What is a Tax-Deferred Annuity? A tax-deferred annuity is a contract between you and the insurance company with guaranteed interest and guaranteed annuity income options. There are no upfront sales charges or administrative fees during the life of your contract.

Advantages of Tax-Deferred Annuities include tax deferral, stability, may avoid probate, liquidity features, and guaranteed income.

One of the primary advantages of deferred annuities is the opportunity to accumulate a substantial sum of money by allowing your premium and interest to grow tax-deferred. Unlike taxable investments, you pay no taxes on your annuity interest until you begin to take withdrawals or receive income. This allows your money to grow faster than in a taxable account, because you earn interest on the money that would have otherwise been paid in taxes.

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Jeff McLeod is a fixed index-linked retirement income annuity specialist. To get a copy of the Buyer?s Guide visit http://happyretiree.com/

Sell Annuity Settlement

A structured settlement is a monetary grant that is often the result of a successful lawsuit. Often the lawsuit is in reference to an injury case, which results in an insurance agreement. This payment is financially planned to guard the settlement sum and to offer the beneficiary with safe returns. Often the receiver is incapable of work, restricted in work capacity or has endured loss in earnings due to work absence as a result of injury. The structured settlement, also known as an annuity settlement, offers the receiver a long-term, steady and tax-free income.

An annuity settlement or a structured settlement uses annuities as a mode of compensation. However they have a basic difference. A regular annuity is a result of an investment or retirement option, whereas a settlement is a result of an injury or insurance settlement.

To ensure an annuity settlement payment remains tax-free and protected for its tenure, a beneficiary cannot ask for payment augmentation or payment advances. At times this is a predicament incase the receiver needs quick cash or a large sum of money. In such scenarios one may search for an annuity buyer.

Through an annuity buyer, one can sell settlement payments for money. The process allows a person to get the cash that is needed at a time, while the buyer takes over ones annuities and collects the payments as prearranged.

If one has an annuity settlement, it is beneficial as it provides a continuing and steady income in case of accident related disability. Nevertheless, need for money may arise at any time. Hence, in situations like this it is advisable to sell annuity settlement at a bargained price to be able to use the money to its full potential.

Sell Annuity provides detailed information on Sell Annuity, Sell Annuity Payment, Sell Annuity Settlement, Sell Health Annuity and more. Sell Annuity is affiliated with Annuity Leads.

Structured Settlement Annuity: The Real Deal

Structured Settlement Annuities have been shown to provide a valuable, safe and guaranteed source of lifetime income to parties in personal injury or other cases. Today we look at situations where these special annuities would be helpful.

Personal injury.
This is obvious to most, but let's take a closer look at situations that might warrant such settlements.

Temporary or permanent disability.
A structured settlement can help here by making sure the cost, if any, of rehabilitation is covered.

Guardianship of minors or persons with diminished mental capacity.
We've seen before how dangerous mismanagement of a lump sum settlement for a child can seriously impact the future care of the child. Guaranteeing that care for the injured child will be covered will add greatly to the overall quality of life for the caretaker and the child.

Wrongful death, particularly when the surviving spouse and / or children need steady income.
When tragedy strikes the main money earner of a household loss to a family is felt in many ways. In some cases this can cause financial ruin to a family. A structured settlement can help replace the monthly income lost and provide a family piece of mind that the rent, bills etc will be paid for.

Severe injuries, especially those that result in shortened life expectancy.
Once again, protecting the financial future of the family or caregivers to make sure that specialized care is covered and monthly expenses are paid.

Cases where future needs can be determined today.
This is a bit more risky as it can be difficult to predict expenses in the future. However, certain costs may be fixed or are more easily anticipated like mortgages, tuition, and monthly bills.

If someone finds themselves in any of these situations, it's important to take these factors into consideration:

1-Significant, ongoing medical expenses
2-Rehabilitation or permanent care facility expenses
3-College tuition, retirement income, the down payment on a home or a mortgage payment
4-Replacement of monthly income, annual income or supplemental income

Though some of these may seem too far in the future to think about, ignoring these will cause more hardship than necessary.

Michael DeGeorge has done extensive research on structured settlements and shares a wealth of information on his website http://structsettle.gitgoingnow.com. Download your free Structured Settlement Annuity information today from http://structsettle.gitgoingnow.com.

A Structured Settlement Annuity: Comparatively Speaking

In earlier articles, we've seen the benefits of structured settlement annuities over lump sum payments. For some, this protects them from the temptation of spending the bulk of their payment on unsound or unwise investments. Protection and incoming cash flow over the long haul are what structured settlement annuities provide. However, not every person faced with a lump sum payment necessarily will be tempted to spend the money rashly. Obviously, there are people who are savvy investors and think that given the opportunity with a lump sum payment over a structured settlement annuity, they will be able to make more money investing on their own.

With that in mind, let's take a look how a structured settlement annuity compares with one of the most popular investment vehicles, the equity income mutual fund.

First, let's look at who issues the annuity and the mutual fund. A structured settlement annuity is issued by a life insurance company. An equity mutual fund is issued by and investment company that pools the assets of multiple investors in equity securities.

Next, let's look at the long term capabilities of each to provide a lifetime income. An annuity payment plan is created up front and is a predictable and dependable source of income that can not be outlived. A mutual fund can be a high paying investment. However it can also be highly volatile and unpredictable based on market conditions and can actually lose money and stop your earnings if the fund performs poorly.

What about guaranteeing the payouts?
An annuity is guaranteed by the issuer of the annuity based on the terms of the structured settlement. A mutual fund is solely dependent on market activity and thus can not be guaranteed.

What about costs?
The annuity has no cost associated with it. A mutual fund can be subject to a number of fees, like a sales load, yearly management fee, and marketing expenses. Even the lowest cost index funds have some costs associated with them.

What about keeping up with inflation?
A structured settlement annuity can have a cost of living adjustment incorporated into the annuity at the time it is designed. An equity mutual fund can outperform inflation based on how the underlying securities perform. However it is difficult to predict what the return will be and remember "past performance is not and indicator of future results."

But what about the dreaded T-word....Taxes??
A structured settlement annuity is tax free as long as the money received is the result of personal physical injury or physical illness. As income is earned from an equity mutual fund taxes, capital gains, income etc, must be paid.

What about flexibility?
A structured settlement annuity payment amount and schedule may not be altered at any time. Conversely, money can be moved in and out of mutual funds. However, taxes, sales loads etc may be applicable with each transaction.

Michael DeGeorge has done extensive research on structured settlements and shares a wealth of information on his website http://structsettle.gitgoingnow.com. Download your free Structured Settlement Annuity information today from http://structsettle.gitgoingnow.com.

Fixed Indexed Annuity: Bank CD Alternative

A fixed indexed annuity (FIA) is the product of choice for top selling annuity agents who are tired of seeing their clients lose money in low interest rate CDs. A fixed indexed annuity is a hybrid fixed product that is fast becoming the new "safe home" for billions of former CD, stock market and mutual fund dollars. And with good reason.

HOW IT WORKS

A FIA provides a safety net of usually 1-3% interest compounded annually. But this is just the minimum guarantee through the contract term. The upside earning potential is much higher. As the name implies, the fixed indexed annuity is tied to an equity index such as the Standard & Poor's 500. The S&P 500 is the benchmark for U.S. equity markets, representing the general health of the overall stock market. As the market goes up your client's earnings go up because they participate in a percentage of the increase. But (and this very important) when the stock market comes back down again as it always does, your clients don't lose any money.

WHAT WAS THAT AGAIN?

This bears repeating. When the stock market goes up, earnings go up with it subject to a cap. But when the market comes back down again as it always does, the policy does not lose any money. Earnings are locked in at each annual anniversary index point. FIA owners earn 2 or 3 times the guaranteed interest rate when the stock market goes up, and when the stock market comes back down again they get to keep all profits. Upside earnings without the downside risk. How cool is that?

TAX DEFERRED GROWTH

What's more, your client's earnings grow tax deferred as long as they stay in the annuity. This means they earn even more money on the portion they don't have to send Uncle Sam. Unlike a CD, there is no Form 1099 to add to income tax returns each year. Why pay taxes on income you don't spend? Seniors citizens are especially fond of Fixed Indexed Annuities since deferred interest is not counted as provisional income and can reduce or eliminate taxation of Social Security benefits. FIAs are also becoming the favorite funding vehicle in small business retirement plans like the 401(k) and SEP-IRA.

WHAT TO DO?

Whether you sell to retirees or future retirees, you owe it to yourself to learn why millions of people are moving billions (actually, trillions) of dollars into fixed indexed annuities. They're the sensible alternative that can make you very large commissions.

http://www.Free-Insurance-Leads.com Gary Le Mon is a wholesale distributor of fixed indexed annuities for Allianz, American Equity, Sun Life Financial, and ING. See also Insurance-Lead-Programs.com

Annuity Rates

 Annuities are the series of payments made by an institution like an insurance company to the annuitant (annuity holder) over a fixed time period. The payments are fixed by the company. Annuity rates are the rates of return that the annuitant will. Rates will depend on the nature of the annuity.

In the case of fixed deferred annuities, the rate of return is guaranteed over the life of the insurance contract. On the other hand, variable deferred annuities will not give any guaranteed return on the annuity. This is because; the amount obtained by the insurance companies from fixed annuities is invested in low risk government securities and bonds that guarantee some income. But the amount from the variable annuities will be invested in high-risk securities. However, the main advantage of variable annuities is that the excess income above the premiums from these annuities is exempted from tax. The two important factors that affect the annuity rates are gilt yields and life expectancy. In most of the countries, annuity rates have been on the decline. Sometimes the annuity rates depend on the market conditions and the monetary policy of the Government.

Every annuity holder wishes to have higher rate of return on the annuity. In order to achieve higher annuity rates of return, one needs to shop around for a good insurance company. Moreover, the potential holders need to have an idea of what types of securities the company invests in. If the investments perform well, then the likelihood of enjoying higher returns is possible. Potential holders may seek professional advice from annuity brokers or agents.



Cash For Annuities Web provides detailed information on cash for annuities, annuity brokers, annuity buyers, annuity payments and more. Cash For Annuities Web is affiliated with Cash Out Refinancing Scams.

Life Insurance Settlement Finds Hidden Cash For Annuity Purchase

A life insurance settlement may hold the hidden source of cash to fund your next fixed indexed annuity sale. Every agent on the planet who is actively selling annuities has heard the objection from a prospect, "I love your concept, but all my money is tied up." Of course, your comeback is to motivate Mr. & Mrs. Prospect to move at least some of their funds into the safety of an FIA. But if and when you find yourself out of bullets, please do not part company without taking a final shot with something like, "One last thought before I go. We sometimes find that retirees may have an old life insurance policy they're still paying on, or that may even be paid up. Oftentimes the reason for taking it out so long ago has changed because life circumstances change over the years. I have a way to 'repurpose' this kind of dormant asset for usually more than its cash value, and apply the money toward your retirement needs today..."

Eureka! Suddenly your dying sales interview springs back to life with the prospect of using the settlement on a life insurance policy as found money.

Actually, before life insurance settlements (also known as viatical life settlements), there were two options when a senior had a life insurance policy that was no longer needed. He or she could either let the life insurance policy lapse or cash it in for its surrender value.

Now seniors have an excellent opportunity to capitalize on their current life insurance policy using a life settlement solution. Such life insurance settlements allow seniors to cash in their insurance, but in a new way. Instead of cashing in their policy with the issuing life insurance company, they can work with a bonded life settlement broker to cash in their policy with a financial institution that will pay more.

Simply put, the transaction is a buy-and-sell exchange between a policy owner and an investor, facilitated by a bonded life settlement company or broker. The policy owner deals directly with the broker who negotiates on his or her behalf. There is no fee to the seller. The broker's job is to package and present the deal for competitive bidding. Financial institutions bid for the best portfolio investments. Once limited to the terminally ill, senior life insurance settlements have evolved into a unique opportunity for today's mature market. And it works for individuals, businesses and charities.

Dollar amounts are based on the death benefit, not the cash value. Ideal life settlements are a percentage of the net face value (death benefit minus outstanding loans and accrued interest) and are always greater than any cash surrender value. For example, one recent case involved a 74 year old male with a $420,000 term life policy, no cash value. The life insurance settlement broker converted the policy to whole life. The purchasing investor took over premium payments. The happy client tucked a tidy $68,000 into his equity index annuity. And the agent socked away $12,600 commission on the life insurance settlement (3% of the policy death benefit) plus $6,120 commission on the FIA. Not a bad day's pay.

When your prospects need a little prompting on the reasons for using a life insurance settlement to fund an equity indexed annuity, suggest the following:

* Beneficiary is deceased and coverage is no longer needed, or beneficiary is financially well off and no longer in need of death benefit for survival

* Premiums are no longer affordable

* Estate size has changed and policy coverage amount is too large for estimated estate taxes * People are living longer. Retirement income needed over longer period

* Better quality of life with greater cash flow

In its simplest form, your clients can receive more money in the secondary market than from their life insurance company. They avoid paying surrender charges from the insurance company and no longer need to make premium payments.

All of this may sound simple, but resources, time, and experience are essential. A bonded life insurance settlement company should have all the tools to make sure that your client's settlement is completed properly and efficiently. While InsuranStar.com neither endorses nor recommends any life settlement solution or senior life insurance settlement broker, as an annuity producer and Wholesale Distributor I've worked with one bonded life settlement broker whom I can recommend with confidence. Please feel free to contact me for a trustworthy reference.

http://www.Free-Insurance-Leads.com Gary Le Mon is a wholesale distributor of fixed indexed annuities for Allianz, American Equity, Sun Life Financial, and ING. Author and developer of the Safe Money Seminar, a financial planning seminar for Seniors, Gary serves as guest speaker on behalf of agents and agencies nationwide. He is coach, mentor and motivator to

Buy Annuity Leads

The financial products such as annuity are created keeping in mind the expectations of certain type of prospective customers. The age of the prospect comes in this type. So are his/her income group and the type of profession they are engaged in. Needless to say that, in order to sell its investment products, the financial companies have to reach out to the targeted customers first. Hence the agents of the financial companies are generally on the look out for the database of such customers. This information is sensitively profiled by specialized research firms and is offered as leads to agents and financial companies needing this database. These leads are generated from various sources which include websites that are developed to monitor genuine customers who are surfing the Internet for buying annuity.

While leads are very important for selling annuity, however certain factors should be taken into consideration while buying them. It?s crucial to know, how the research company operates and by using which methods the leads are being generated by the research company. Instead of buying the leads from the first authentic company one comes across, it pays to search for more companies in order to get optimum benefits. The cost of acquiring the leads is also significant. The terms of payment should be clearly discussed before entering into a payment contract. There are some companies that raise monthly bills for providing leads. It must also be ascertained whether the leads are sold only to one agent/ company. For better results while playing safe, the leads should be bought in small amounts from various firms. This way, the quality of the leads and the firm providing these databases can be safely assessed without incurring much cost - a good deed indeed for good leads!
Buy Annuity provides detailed information on Buy Annuity, Buy Annuity Leads, Buy Fixed Annuity, Buy Retirement Annuity and more. Buy Annuity is affliated with Fixed Annuities.

Compare An Annuity Rate - Foolproof Method

You should never buy insurance without first taking the trouble to compare annuity rate offers from several different companies. This will definitely prevent you from running the risk of accidentally buying high-cost insurance.

Millions of people needlessly pay unnecessarily high interest rates because they were too lazy to try to compare annuity rate offers. For instance many people don't realize that a variable annuity actually has higher fees and sometimes-higher interest rates then a fixed rate annuity.

Just to remind you of the differences between types of annuities, a fixed annuity pays you a guaranteed rate of interest and a variable annuity helps you invest in a portfolio of mutual fund type accounts. There is also a third type of annuity called an equity-indexed annuity. It is like a mating of the two types and offers a minimum rate of interest as well as the opportunity to invest your money in a portfolio as well. Equity indexed annuities are the hardest plans to compare simply because they are complex and marketed as being risk-free when in fact the opposite is often true!

Another unfortunate yet common consequence of neglecting to compare annuity rate offers is settling for the first deal that comes your way. Many people do this just to get the whole tedious job of comparing annuity rate offers over with. This could be a big mistake, especially if you don't read the fine print. For one thing you might end up paying really high fees should you decide to withdraw your money one day.

Another problem is that you are often stuck in the deal that you chose in the first place as there could be very high penalties for withdrawing your money early. This makes it almost impossible to get ahead financially even if you did have a better annuity rate offered from another company.

Tiffany Walker has finally revealed her annuity secrets online. Read the latest by clicking here: Buyer of structured annuity settlement.