Annuity FYI Visitor Blog

“Build a better 401(k)” by Eileen Ambrose of The Baltimore Sun talks about some ideas for making Americans’ retirement last throughout their lifetime.  At the same time as more Americans are living to the age of 100 and beyond, we are in a time where fewer people are saving for a retirement that could be much longer than our years working.  With more people approaching retirement putting Social Security safety into question and the lifetime income of traditional pensions a thing of the past, the 401k annuity has been getting a lot of attention from people like President Obama.  Because annuities provide a lifetime stream of income in exchange for a lump sum payment to insurance companies, the idea of combining them with 401k’s housing your retirement money makes sense.

While annuities have a lot of options to research, using some of a 401k to purchase one for guaranteed lifetime income is right for many people.  Retirees are handed their 401k in a lump sum at retirement to live off for the rest of their lives.  They can use some of the money to purchase immediate annuities at retirement, but aren’t always educated about the product.  President Obama’s council has two ideas for matching 401k’s and annuities.  At age 45, 401k plans can start putting retiree’s money into an annuity or they can purchase an annuity at retirement with half of their 401k savings.  The stability of the insurance company from which annuities are purchased is crucial, so there is a call for a federal insurance fund similar to the FDIC to back up these annuities in case the insurance company goes out of business.  The government is still doing research to determine what their recommendations will be.

In the Wall Street Journal, Brett Arends explains “How to Salvage Your Retirement.”  While there are people that have little to nothing saved and won’t be able to retire when they’d like, many people have employer sponsored pensions or home equity that will help them in retirement.  It’s not always enough though and a lot of Americans don’t have either of those options available.  According to a recent study, forty percent of workers are not saving for retirement.  Arends’ top tips follow.

• Work as long as you possibly can.  This gives you more time to save, allows the savings you already have or are now saving to grow, and lowers the number of years that you will need to use those savings to live.  Delaying Social Security payments is also wise because you will receive more each year.
• Lower your costs of living in retirement.  One of the best ways to do this is to live where the cost of living is low in the United States.  Moving somewhere in the central U.S. tends to have the lowest housing and living expenses.  Even moving a little farther outside of a big city makes a difference.
• Make a plan for yourself that isn’t concerned with leaving money to your heirs.  Immediate annuities and reverse mortgages help you to get more out of the same retirement money.  There are sacrifices to be made for both, so make sure the options are right for you.
• It can’t be said enough: spend less and save more.  While it seems like a simple idea, many people just are not following the concept.  Starting now, wherever you are in the retirement spectrum, will always make a difference and help your future money grow.

Use tax breaks for people over fifty to your benefit and save for 401k annuities and IRAs.  You are able to put more money into these accounts than those younger than fifty.  Take advantage of what the government has to offer.  Work longer, lower living costs, think about your own future, and save.

While American Olympic medalists are admired and popular after their wins, in some other countries an Olympic gold medal could bring immediate annuities.  According to “Continued success expected for gold-medal winner Kim Yu-Na” in The Hankyoreh, South Korea’s Kim Yu-Na will increase her wealth with her gold medal win in women’s figure skating.  Her final score of 228.56 was not only the highest ever recorded in the event, it also beat her Japanese rival Asada Mao by over 20 points.  Kim’s win gave South Korea their first ever gold medal in the sport and is expected to make her money from endorsements and the annuities her country will provide.

The gold medalist will receive a payment of approximately $52,000 for winning the competition.  The annuity score she had of 24 will now increase to 114, making her monthly annuity payment go up to $862.  Her previous annuity payment was based on a win at the World Figure Skating Championships and a couple of third place finishes.  Some countries offer these immediate annuities to their top athletes as motivation to keep them working hard for the country and to keep them in the press.  Kim Yu-Na is expected to receive a lot of endorsement deals from her gold medal win as well.  The question remains whether she will train for the Sochi, Russia Olympics in 2014 or turn professional and tour with other “retired” figure skating greats.

The Obama administration is a big fan of annuities, according to “The unloved annuity gets a big hug from the president,” by Ron Leiber of The Boston Globe.  While President Obama did not end up discussing annuities in his State of the Union address last week, they are widely discussed in a report from his Middle Class Task Force.  Obama’s administration is promoting annuities as a vehicle to help Americans obtain a secure retirement.  In exchange for a lump sum of money at purchase, investors will receive a monthly income check for the rest of their lives.  Annuities are one of the few products to counter the longevity risk, running out of money while you are living.

The investors who were previously fearful of the risks of annuities may just take a second look at this unique product.  An immediate fixed annuity is the simplest form and the least “risky” from many viewpoints.  Variable annuities were derived from them and have their own risks and rewards.  Maybe the biggest fear investors had was losing the money if they died unexpectedly.  There are options available to add a spouse or other loved one onto your annuity to receive payments for a specified period of time if you die.  Inflation was another risk that worried investors, but with the option to purchase an annuity that rises with the consumer price index, you can avoid that as well.  President Obama may be issuing tax incentives for investors to purchase annuities for retirement along with requiring plan administrators to show employees the monthly payments they could receive with annuities to help promote them even more.

In The Insurance Letter’s article “Proposed Legislation Should Boost Retirement Annuity Sales,” Alan Levine describes Senate bill 2832.  The proposed amendment to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 is meant to help broaden the awareness of planning for a lifetime of retirement income.  Most retirement plans now only show the lump-sum value on participants annual statements.  This bill would require 401k and other private retirement plans to show more information on their annual statements.  Plan sponsors would have to show how that lump-sum value will pay out in guaranteed monthly income, based on retirement age and the investment vehicles used by participants.

Senate bill 2832 could encourage investors to make 401k annuity rollovers with their retirement income.  Since a lump-sum value is really only half of the retirement picture, investors ability to see how their money translates into guaranteed lifetime payments is crucial.  With the government’s possible new requirements, 401k and other retirement plan sponsors might be adding more immediate annuities and variable annuities that have guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefits.  With more than $3 trillion in retirement plan assets, the government’s regulations could surely effect a lot of annuity decision making.  The government would not require annuities to be offered, but by requiring monthly payout options to be disclosed, annuities seem to offer the best guaranteed income benefits.