The Pros and Cons of Annuities
General September 26th, 2009
Annuities are an investiture option that allow a person to collect tax deferred payments for a predetermined amount of time. Just as there are pros and cons with any investitures, the annuities good and bad points are certainly something to be looked at before you make, what can in reality be, a very large purchase. As we are all living longer these days (eighty to ninety years is becoming the norm), a person is looking to spend one third of their lives as a retire.
So, this being said, what things do you need to be aware of with annuities?
When you retire, the tax deferred payments from your annuity are simply another choice after you have invested up to your limit within your 401K, Roth and Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts. It is the potential of good levels of income from an annuity that are attractive by virtue of the fact that they are also tax deferred. The tax benefits can be wiped out with high fees and this is one of the cons that needs to be thought about. Some of the cost’s comes from early ‘surrender fees’ and from the administration of the money so you need to be aware of both.
Very rapidly, these charges accumulate.
Your choice of annuity will count on your level of knowledge of these fees.
A reverse annuity mortgage allows a person to take tax free payments borrowed against their mortgage. When thinking about the annuities pros and cons, this pro can be very attractive. Low income seniors can receive tax free payments until they die, giving them long-term financial aid for any potential personal and medical expenses that may arise.
In a reverse mortgage annuity situation however, on the demise of the plan holder, the lender will gain control of their property and is something you need to be aware of. Banks do have very strict rules for anyone applying for the reverse annuity mortgage. The annuity holder needs to fully understand the outcomes once they die peculiarly (but not exclusively) in the case of a reverse annuity mortgage so reading the ‘fine print’ is vital.
If you would like to know more about annuities good and bad points, in an effort to determine if an annuity is the right choice for your retirement financial planning, you should seek the advice of a registered financial planner. Your individual needs must handled plus the benefits and drawbacks need to be explained in layman’s terms, which is one thing only a financial planning professional is capable of doing.
About