Sunday, March 16, 2008

Where Do You Find A Qualified Buyer of Structured Settlement Annuity?

Finding a qualified buyer of structured settlement annuity is much easier these days thanks to the Internet. With just the click of a mouse you have access to the top note buyers in the country, and you can sell your annuity in a matter of days. It's just a question of finding the right buyer.

Many people find at the beginning or over time that the monthly payments they receive as part of a structured settlement no longer work for them. They might need an immediate source of cash, might be looking to retire or just might not want to assume the risk anymore. Whatever the case may be, there are professionals who are willing to purchase these settlements and assume the risk for you.

It's important to remember that you do not have to sell your entire note. Rather, you can tell the buyer of structured annuity settlement that you only want to sell a portion of it. This is called a partial and it is a common way of structuring the deal. Here's an example of how this works:

Let's say you have a $100,000 settlement paying over 5 years. You need $40k now for a new investment. Well you can sell $40k worth of payments (however many months that works out to be) and retain the rest of the monthly income. Once those payments are made, you resume right where you left off and start receiving your monthlies again.

There are other ways to sell as well, and a knowledgeable buyer of structured settlement annuity will be able to explain all of them to you. After hearing all of the options you can decide which works best for your particular financial situation.

How much will you get for your structured settlement?

That depends on a number of factors, including but not limited to the remaining balance, months/years left, inflationary concerns, timeliness of payments and the financial stability/reliability of the payor. The buyer of structured annuity settlement will take all of these into consideration to come up with their valuation. Remember, it has to make financial sense for them as well as they are taking on the risk of holding this annuity, possibly for many years to come.

If you're considering selling your note, make sure you find a qualified buyer of structured settlement annuity with many years of experience in the industry. This way you are sure to get top dollar for your settlement.

Jamie has been working in the finance industry for many years and is a contributing editor to http://www.selling-your-note.com. Find a buyer of structured settlement annuity and learn more about cash flow instruments on our site.

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Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Rescuing Your Underperforming Annuity Account

It was only a few years ago that interest rates plunged to historic lows. Conservative investors who needed guaranteed income and preservation of principal were in a bind. In many cases, returns at the bank were below two percent and fixed annuity accounts yielded only marginally better. Many of these cautious investors purchased fixed annuities rather than bank instruments in order to capture higher returns.

How times have changed. The United States economy improved significantly. Inflation pressure grew, and the Federal Reserve began to ratchet up interest rates while treasury yields increased in kind. While much of this was good news, it created problems for the annuity purchaser from just a few years ago.

Concerns with Older Annuity Accounts

If you invested in a traditional fixed annuity account during these low yielding years, you may find yourself in a dilemma. The problem: many of these accounts have fallen to their guaranteed minimum yields. Currently, they might only offer a paltry return between 2 and 3.5 percent. There are several reasons for this decline. To begin with, many annuity accounts have a first year bonus that will not be paid in subsequent years. In addition, these accounts often provide a floating rate of return. Their returns are not locked in. A floating rate annuity is quick to go down in years where yields are decreasing, but slow to come back up when yields in the treasury market increase. In essence, if you purchased an annuity in the lean years, you may have locked in poor yields for the duration of your account.

There are other issues as well. If your annuity has not reached maturity, you will have to pay surrender penalties if you cash in the account early. In addition, if you purchased a non-qualified annuity account, you may have accumulated tax deferred interest. Should you transfer your annuity to anything another than another annuity account, you could have income tax to pay. Taxes and penalties will quickly lower your account value upon early surrender.

How to Improve Your Fixed Annuity Returns

Rest assured ─ this is not a story of doom and gloom. The fix to this problem is simple. You simply exchange your old annuity for a new account. Rates have increased dramatically over the last three years, and newer annuities can lock in much higher yields. Furthermore, it may be a wise decision to lock in rates with a guaranteed fixed yield as oppose to a floating rate of return.

Unless your account is very new, the higher guaranteed yields can more than make up for any surrender penalties your may have. A sizeable account can accumulate thousands of additional dollars by making this change. (It is important to note that many economic pundits are already predicting that the Federal Reserve Board will begin to lower rates in 2007. This will most certainly force treasury markets and annuity yields lower for those who have not locked in higher rates.)

Income Taxes on Tax Deferred Interest ─ 1035 Exchange

Additionally, if income taxes are a concern, you should understand that taxes are not due if you transfer your old non-qualified annuity to a new annuity account. This is why owners simply transfer from one annuity to another in what the I.R.S. has deemed a 1035 tax-free exchange. Income taxes will only be due if and when you decide to take out your interest. If yours is a retirement account (also called a qualified account) you can simply perform a rollover. If done properly, (with the help of an experienced agent and/or accountant), a qualified rollover is not a taxable event either.

In summary, no longer do you need to dread your quarterly annuity statements. There are several reputable insurance companies providing very reasonable guaranteed returns. These products will provide you with higher yields, potentially shorter durations, liquidity and peace of mind. An annuity rollover or 1035 exchange can be a wise investment choice.

A.M. Hyers has been working in the insurance and investment industry for nearly ten years. He owns and operates Ohio Insurance Plan, an independent insurance agency doing business in Ohio, Missouri and Georgia.

His agency offers products to individuals, families and any size employee group. They use the leading national insurance carriers to offer quotes, illustrations and relevant information on life insurance, health insurance and HSA accounts. They also offer disability and long term care insurance as well as annuity policies, Medicare supplement plans and Medicare Part D coverage.

Visit them at:
http://www.ohioinsureplan.com
Learn more about fixed annuity products
Current annuity rates

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Thursday, January 17, 2008

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.

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Sunday, November 25, 2007

Help With My Annuity

The cries are heard from the distance, "I need help with my annuities." Nothing has changed...just a lonely senior who can't trust anybody with her annuity because every time she asks for advice, someone tries to make her invest in a different annuity...Sound familiar? Well you are not alone.

Often times when speaking to a senior about their annuities, I ask them their biggest complaint. Time and time again they say that it is hard to find someone who can help them with their annuity without trying to sell them another one. It is not uncommon. The truth of the matter is, many annuity agents are not out to help the client, but to help themselves (I am sure you are not surprised). They want to make the "fast buck" without regards for the client's needs or investment objectives. The unfortunate part is that, this isn't going to change.

Honest help with an annuity is hard to find. Insurance agents don't get paid for their time, they usually only get paid for making a sale. So it's no wonder why they always recommend another annuity. I once visited someone who needed help with an annuity that an agent "talked him into." The problem was, in order to get into this annuity, the agent talked him into surrendering his old annuity and paying a $13,000 surrender charge to do so-AND THE ANNUITY HE PUT HIM INTO WAS WORSE THAN THE ANNUITY HE GOT HIM OUT OF...When I asked him why he called the other salesperson in the first place, he told me he just needed to make a small withdrawal from his annuity and didn't know how...And the agent tricked him into switching it into another annuity and paying a huge surrender charge which he could never recover due to his age...Fortunately it wasn't too late and we were able to reverse his transaction.

However, good help is hard to find. There is no doubt. This may come as no surprise but my recommendation to anyone who needs help is to first purchase the book "Annuities: The Shocking Truths Revealed." Sure, I wrote it and sure I have a vested interest in saying that, but at least it talks about annuities in a way that anyone can understand them. And at least it points out all the things people who own annuities or are looking for annuities need to be careful of. Most importantly, it points out the dirty little secrets that agents never tell you about annuities.

The bottom line is this. If you need help with your annuity, you need to be vigilant. Many agents are out there for their own good and you must be aware of this. Utilize your resources and learn the right questions to ask your agent before making a decision (Also found in the book). Sure, you may just give up and never get help but the worst decision is no decision. Help with your annuity is hard to find, but not impossible...that's why I wrote the book!!! Good luck and remember...
Ignorance is not bliss...
Tony Bahu is also the author of the controversial document, 'Annuities: The Shocking Truths Revealed', which reveals the secrets that the banks and insurance companies don't want you to know. For more information visit www.annuitymd.com

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