Annuities

Not everyone of us is equally prepared for retirement. While some of us are fortunate to have built a nest egg that will last us through our Golden Years, others will depend on government programs for retirement income. Regardless of which side of this divide you are on, Annuities can be a powerful vehicle to help you fund your retirement dreams.

Whether it is to deliver guaranteed income to you and your loved ones in retirement, to help protect your principle while also providing income, or to provide death benefits to your beneficiaries upon your passing, there are annuity products to meet every conceivable need.

Why Annuities Are Important To Consider

The short answer: Diversification. Flexibility!

Many retirees and soon-to-be retirees are concerned over the preservation of their investments in mutual funds, ETFs and stocks. The gyration in the stock market is often hard to stomach for seniors entering their Golden Years. With the help of a well-chosen Annuity, one can add a layer of diversification to your retirement portfolio.

Annuities are structured as potential investment vehicles that may be insulated from the fate of stock market behavior. 

For the soon-to-be retiree who is concerned that he/she has missed the proverbial retirement savings boat, Annuities offer potentially good news! Because there’s no limit to how much you can contribute in Annuities, on an after-tax basis, you’ll have flexibility in how much you save, and may never have to worry whether it’s too late to play the “catch up” game.

What We Can Do for You

If used strategically, Annuities can be a retirement income planning vehicle. Here are some of the ways that our Annuity professionals can help you:

• Use annuities as a retirement planning option: Our team of specialists will work with you to review your entire existing portfolio to determine whether Annuities are right for you. In some cases, an overexposure to other fixed-income products, like Bonds and Dividend-paying stocks, may still leave your retirement income exposed. We’ll help you decide if Annuities are the right retirement planning option for you.

• Make cost-effective Annuity choices: Not all Annuities are created alike. While they may generally be a great choice for generating fixed-income in retirement, the cost associated with producing such income could sometimes be high. Our Annuity specialists are familiar with the entire Annuity landscape, and can help identify cost-advantaged Annuity investments for you.

• Receive tax-advantaged income: We help clients manage their tax liability through prudent product selection. Some annuities, like tax-deferred variable products, enable investors to receive tax-deferred income now – by not including such income to determine your current tax liability. Subsequently in retirement, when you might be in a lower tax bracket, your annuity-dependent income may not be a source of significant taxes.

• Build flexibility into your retirement planning objectives: We do this by choosing annuity products that can easily be switched between investment portfolios without the potential risk of triggering associated taxes. So, if your investment objectives change during the investment horizon, you may have the opportunity to switch to a different annuity to support your new objectives.

Contact us today to learn more about annuities.

*Fixed annuities are long-term investment vehicles designed for retirement purposes. Gains from tax-deferred investments are taxable as ordinary income upon withdrawal. There is a surrender charge imposed generally during the first 5 to 7 years that you own the contract. Withdrawals prior to age 59 ½ may result in a 10% IRS tax penalty, in addition to any ordinary income tax. The guarantee of the annuity is backed by the financial strength of the underlying insurance company. Investment sub-account values will fluctuate with changes in market conditions.

*Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks and charges and expenses of the variable annuity carefully before investing. An investment in a variable annuity involves investment risk, including possible loss of principal. Variable annuities are designed for long-term investing. The contract, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the total amount invested. Variable annuities are subject to insurance-related charges including mortality and expense charges, administrative fees, and the expenses associated with the underlying sub-accounts. The prospectus contains this and other information about the variable annuity.  Contact the issuing firm or your registered representative to obtain a prospectus, which should be read carefully before investing or sending money.

*There is no guarantee that a diversified portfolio will enhance overall returns or outperform a non-diversified portfolio. Diversification does not protect against market risk.  All investing involves risk including loss of principal.  No strategy assures success or protects against loss.