Safe Money Places
  • Retirement Income
    • Fixed Annuity >
      • Annuity Overview
      • Fixed Rate Annuity
      • Fixed Index Annuities
      • Annuity Benefits
      • Fixed vs. Variable Annuities
    • Social Security >
      • Quick Overview
      • How Does It Work?
      • What Are My Benefits?
      • Deceased Spouse
      • Maximize Your Benefits
      • Estimate Your Benefits
    • Savings Bonds >
      • Quick Overview
      • How do they work?
      • What do they yield?
      • Tax Advantages
      • Older / Baby Bonds
    • Banks and Credit Unions >
      • Quick Overview
      • Certificates of Deposit
      • Money Market Accounts
      • Savings Accounts
  • Financial Protection
    • Life Insurance >
      • Overview
      • Different Types
      • Basic Considerations
      • Typical Questions
      • Common Uses
    • Critical Illness Insurance
    • How Safe Are The Companies? >
      • The FDIC Explained >
        • Quick Overview
        • What does the FDIC Cover?
        • How Does The FDIC Work?
        • Who Is The CDARS?
      • National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)
      • Financial Strength
      • What if they fail?
      • Risk Money Places
    • Identity Theft Protection
  • Strategies
    • Personal Pension Plan
    • Wealth Transfer
    • Basic Money Math
    • Financial Concepts >
      • Split Funding
      • Tax Deferral
      • Saving too Conservatively
      • Yield Ladders
      • Liquidity
  • News
    • Safe Money News
    • Archives
  • Videos
  • Guides
  • Resources
    • Financial Dictionary
    • FAQ / Ask a ?
    • Useful Resources
  • About
  • Retirement Income
    • Fixed Annuity >
      • Annuity Overview
      • Fixed Rate Annuity
      • Fixed Index Annuities
      • Annuity Benefits
      • Fixed vs. Variable Annuities
    • Social Security >
      • Quick Overview
      • How Does It Work?
      • What Are My Benefits?
      • Deceased Spouse
      • Maximize Your Benefits
      • Estimate Your Benefits
    • Savings Bonds >
      • Quick Overview
      • How do they work?
      • What do they yield?
      • Tax Advantages
      • Older / Baby Bonds
    • Banks and Credit Unions >
      • Quick Overview
      • Certificates of Deposit
      • Money Market Accounts
      • Savings Accounts
  • Financial Protection
    • Life Insurance >
      • Overview
      • Different Types
      • Basic Considerations
      • Typical Questions
      • Common Uses
    • Critical Illness Insurance
    • How Safe Are The Companies? >
      • The FDIC Explained >
        • Quick Overview
        • What does the FDIC Cover?
        • How Does The FDIC Work?
        • Who Is The CDARS?
      • National Credit Union Administration (NCUA)
      • Financial Strength
      • What if they fail?
      • Risk Money Places
    • Identity Theft Protection
  • Strategies
    • Personal Pension Plan
    • Wealth Transfer
    • Basic Money Math
    • Financial Concepts >
      • Split Funding
      • Tax Deferral
      • Saving too Conservatively
      • Yield Ladders
      • Liquidity
  • News
    • Safe Money News
    • Archives
  • Videos
  • Guides
  • Resources
    • Financial Dictionary
    • FAQ / Ask a ?
    • Useful Resources
  • About

I Bought My First Fixed Index Annuity

8/24/2016

Comments

 
Picture
Actually my wife and I each bought one. The reasons we’d never purchased a fixed index annuity in the past were that we’re not particularly risk-averse and we had time to recover from any market downturn. The reason why we bought now was the recovery time-frame had shortened because retirement is looming. Although over the long-term the stock market has been a good bet, that isn’t always true when you’re looking at five or six year time spans. I was concerned we would need to start withdrawing from our investments before we recovered from the next bear market.

We felt we needed guaranteed income to cover our expenses during retirement, so we created a retirement expense budget. The budget is, of course, an estimate, but we tried to include everything, added a bit more, and then added a bit on top for inflation. We then subtracted what the Social Security calculator says we’ll get in benefits and what was left was our guaranteed income gap.

To fill the gap we purchased FIAs with guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefits. I wanted the most certainty, so the one I chose had the most predictable joint lifetime income – and the highest annual fee. My main concern was money coming in each year, especially if I die first, and knowing the exact amount of that future check when I bought.

My wife wanted a lower annuity lifetime benefit fee and the potential for more income, so the FIA she chose doesn’t have as strong a base income guarantee, but offers the potential for higher income than I’m getting if she earns more interest during the deferral period. Her guaranteed base income is little lower than mine, but she could wind up getting a higher lifetime income than me when she begins to take withdrawals. 

Might we get a higher income if we just left the money in the market?
Sure, and that’s why a large portion of our assets continues to be in investments.

If we want guaranteed income, why didn’t we just buy immediate annuities?
With the FIAs we have access to the cash value. The odds are we’ll be taking out more than we earn, so the account value will go down, but we have control over the account. If we needed to we could cash in the annuity and take whatever is left. And, like a life immediate annuity, even when our money is gone the FIA annuity company keeps paying for as long as we live.

Do I believe we would have run out of money early if we hadn’t bought the annuities?
No. I’ve done the math. The reality is we’ll probably both be dead before our accounts go to zero.

Then why did we buy?
It comes down to peace of mind. I know the income my wife and I will get from the annuities and it doesn’t matter what the financial markets do. This is the one piece of our portfolio we don’t have to worry about (it’s also the part of the portfolio my widow won’t have to mess with). Finally, if our minds get foggier in the future this is again the one thing we don’t have to fuss with.

The trigger that caused us to take action and buy the annuities was doing the budget and seeing the guaranteed income shortfall (as a side note, my annuity income is more than enough to cover our real estate taxes and homeowners insurance, so I feel like it is our “always have a home” annuity). Planning for retirement gets very real when you’re looking at the hard dollars you will need in a rapidly nearing future.

Picture
This article was written by:
Dr. Jack Marrion
​

Dr. Marrion’s research on senior decision making and the financial world have been featured in hundreds of publications including: Business Week, Kiplinger, Smart Money, and The Wall Street Journal. He is the author of six books and a frequent media guest.
Comments

Search our site:

Speak with an Agent:

Schedule a CONSULTATION

Contact us:

Safe Money Places
11611 N. Meridian St. Suite #110
Carmel, IN 46032
​1-877-844-0900
Ask a question

Sitemap:

INCOME

Social Security
Fixed Annuities
Savings Bonds
Bank & Credit Unions

Safety

Banks
Credit Unions
Insurance Companies

Money Basics

Money Math
Financial Concepts
Financial Dictionary
Risk Money Places

Strategies

​Personal Pension Plan
Wealth Transfer
Identity Theft Protection

Resources

​Consumer Guides
​Videos
FAQ
News

PROTECTION

Term Life Insurance
Permanent Life Insurance
Single Premium Life
Critical Illness Insurance

FOLLOW US:

DISCLAIMERS

Safe Money Places and this website are operated by The Ohlson Group, Inc. Safe Money Places is a consumer website. Safe Money Places is not a licensed insurance agency and financial products cannot be purchased on this website.

Safe Money Places does not warrant anything on this website, although we strive to keep everything accurate and up-to-date. ​We do not provide tax, legal, accounting, or investment advice. You need to do your own homework and consult your own experts on your personal situation. This website is protected by applicable copyright laws. You may make or print one copy of any material for personal use, further copying or distributing is prohibited without prior written permission.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at 1-877-844-0900 OR contact us by filling out our form.

The Ohlson Group Inc, and or Joseph R. Ohlson LUTCF is licensed to do business in all states except New York. If you request information, regarding a product or service, you may be contacted by a life insurance agent licensed in your state.

​Privacy Policy
© COPYRIGHT Safe Money Places 2005- 2023. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.