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.

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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 Annuity Quotes

People are of two minds about where is the best place to get fixed annuity quotes. Some would say that the best place to get fixed annuity quotes is at the place where you actually intend to buy the insurance as you get all of the information that you need to know "direct from the horse's mouth" as they say. The quotes are direct and would accurately reflect what the institution or insurance company has to offer you as a deal on that day.

Others say that the best way to go about getting fixed annuity quotes is to get them from a broker or look them up on one of the many sites on the World Wide Web that will allow you to compare fixed annuity quotes in nicely designed, easy to read charts. There are absolutely scores of sites on the Internet run by insurance brokers that specialize in comparing fixed annuity quotes specifically so don't be afraid to take advantage of your search engine box to find the rates that are best for you.

The reason that getting them from a broker or a brokerage site is a good idea is that you will get a larger selection or idea of what is actually out there when it comes to fixed annuity rates and terms and conditions. However the fact is that some web sites or brokers are of course there to represent the best interests of their affiliates. In order to make a decision some of these brokers may slant their reviews or assessments of different plans in favor of what they are selling.

Another thing to look out for when shopping for fixed annuity quotes online are claims that seem too good to be true. Don't trust any broker that asks for your social insurance number, banking account number or credit card number by email. This means that you could be a potential victim of identity theft. To avoid this type of grifting you might also want to consider getting your quotes by phoning a broker or by talking to one in person.

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Finding a Buyer of a Structured Annuity Settlement

If you receive a big insurance settlement (such as a personal injury settlement) or win the lottery then it might be a good idea to find a buyer of structured annuity settlement. An annuity settlement means that even though you have won a big jackpot or been awarded a huge sum of cash that you will only see a small sum of it that is sent to you by check once a year. This is where a buyer of a structured annuity settlement can come in handy especially if you want to take advantage of all of your winnings at once.

A buyer of structured annuity settlement winnings will offer you a big lumps sum payment so that you don't have to wait to be paid over a period of several years or even decades. In a way you could perceive this type of annuity as a kind of cash advance for the winnings you would have received in the future.

Keep in mind that doing a deal with a buyer of a structured annuity settlement is not necessarily that profitable. They in actuality keep the majority of your winnings. For one thing the buyer will be receiving all of the interest on the money as it is collected for many years. You on the other hand may be tempted to splurge all of your winnings or insurance money at once.

Still opting for a structured annuity settlement is a good idea for individuals who need a huge lump sum of cash to take care of immediate physical needs which is often the case with people receiving large insurance settlements as the result of personal injury or medical abuse.

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

The Variable Annuity versus The Mutual Fund

Get ready for the battle of the new millennium, the variable annuity versus the mutual fund. Over the past few years, the variable annuity has come under extreme attack, as an investment vehicle for retirement because of its expenses and taxes laws regarding withdraws. Actually, many articles have compared the features of the fixed annuity to a mutual fund, but unfortunately; that is like comparing a wagon to a jet ski. On the other hand, the variable annuity experiences market risk and so does your mutual fund; therefore, this provides us with a fairer comparison.

The variable annuity takes a lot of criticism, since individuals pay ordinary income taxes on withdrawn earnings. Also, the variable annuity is subject to stringent tax rules such as early withdraw penalties before age 59 1/2 with a few exceptions; even if the plan is classified as a non-qualified account. Mutual fund taxes are based on the fund manager's classification of the dividend. If the gain is considered a short-term capital gain in the mutual fund, this amount will also be taxed as ordinary income.

There has been some discussion over the high expenses associated with the variable annuity. Most variable annuity plans average a "mortality and expense" charge of about 1.2% a year and each separate account you choose may add another .8 % to .9% a year plus administrative costs. Mutual funds also have fees. Some funds require you to pay a sales charge when you purchase it, while others require you take a number of years to pay off its sales charge or are considered to be no-load mutual funds. Regardless of the mutual fund you choose, you will have to pay internal fees which may include management and those pesky 12(b)1 fees. The average yearly mutual fund fees generally run .75 to 1.3%, depending on the fund. By now you are wondering why anyone would use a variable annuity for retirement planning? Actually, that is for you to decide not me. F.Y.I., those investment specialist crying about an annuities' surrender charges should never sell B-share mutual funds, because there is not much difference.

The variable annuity has one defensive stand left? Let us say two people invested $20,000 in a variable annuity and the other in XYZ Mutual Fund. Both of these people die before spending a dime of their retirement accounts. At the time of death, each person had the same asset allocation model and $14,000 in their account. Whose beneficiary will get the most money? If your variable annuity has a death benefit that guarantees your original investment minus withdraws, you would have done better with the annuity. However, there are many other scenarios to consider, and the tax rules regarding non-qualified annuities and surrender charges may not allow easy access to your money before age 59 1/2. You decide which is a better retirement investment for you. The most important thing you can do is something, instead of nothing at all.

Disclaimer: The information in this article should be construed to be insurance advice. Always consult a financial or insurance professional or tax accountant to determine what coverage is right for you.

Mr. Jason Cunningham is the lead writer for http://www.financial-shopper-network.com and http://financialshoppernetwork.blogspot.com.

How To Purchase An Annuity

An annuity is a contract with an insurance company to make periodic payments for retirement income and sometimes other purposes.

There are basically two types of annuities.

Fixed Annuities

A fixed annuity earns a guaranteed interest rate over a specific period of time. When this period of time expires a new interest rate is set for the next period of time. Is important to note that a fixed annuity is not backed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Variable Annuities

Variable annuities offer a much greater range of investment funding options than fixed annuities. Because their performance depends on the investment options your principal and return are not guaranteed. Some variable annuities offer a fixed accounts alternative that guarantees principal and interest a lot like fixed annuities. You can then divide your funds between the low-risk option as well as high-risk options such as stocks.

Purchasing Annuities

There are two ways to purchase annuities. You can either pay the premium using one lump sum or you can make ongoing contributions to what is called a flexible payment annuity. With a flexible payment annuity you can contribute money pretty much any time you want. Another benefit of variable annuities is that they allow you to transfer money from one account to the other without having to pay taxes on any earnings you make as a result of the transfer. The disadvantage of variable annuities is that you will most likely pay higher fees than you would with a fixed annuity.

If you are wanting to save money for retirement a fixed tax deferred annuity may be the best option for you. With a tax-deferred annuity you don't pay taxes until you make a withdrawal or begin receiving annuity income. This can allow you to accumulate a greater amount of money over an extended period of time. You should think carefully though before putting money into a tax-deferred annuity. If the money is needed before age 59 and you withdrawal the money the IRS may apply heavy penalties. In addition the insurer may also impose its own withdrawal penalties which are often cause surrender fees.

You can also purchase what is called an immediate annuity. When you purchase an immediate annuity you make a one-time payment and distributions usually begin within 30 days. Immediate annuities can be fixed or variable. Because an immediate annuity can provide stable income payments guaranteed for a selected period of time, this is a good option if you need a financial vehicle that can provide guaranteed income for life.

Before purchasing an annuity is important to speak with a professional financial adviser so you have an understanding of the various tax consequences of an annuity as well as the expenses which may be associated with the contract.

Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.cashbazar.com. Visit his website for the latest on personal finance, debt elimination, budgeting, credit cards and real estate.