Annuity Tips for Retirement
1. Take advantage of tax deferral
With a tax-deferred annuity, you pay taxes on gains only when they are withdrawn. This gives you some control over your tax bill.2. Save as much as you can
Compounding means your money is working for you. Annuities can lead to greater growth than your taxable accounts because the money you would pay in taxes stays in the account and has the opportunity to grow.3. Set goals that fit your lifestyle
Only you can decide how you want to live during retirement. Your financial goals and objectives should reflect your lifestyle goals.4. Maximize your contributions
Annuities offer optional lifetime benefit riders that may provide guaranteed benefit base growth for future income purposes.5. Diversify
To effectively manage your retirement income, a mix of investments that can potentially maximize growth while minimizing risk may prove useful.6. Consider stocks for long-term growth potential
Instead of attempting to research and pick your own stocks, consider investing in a variable portfolio managed by professionals dedicated to stock research.7. Beware of over-concentration
Consider allocating your investments among several asset classes to help protect against volatility.8. Exhaust your annuities first
Annuities with lifetime income guarantees will continue to pay out as long as you are living.9. Play to your strengths
Understand the benefits of your annuity. If you have an income guarantee, start income sooner rather than later to give yourself the best opportunity to maximize the amount of income you receive.10. Maximize the amount of your legacy
Whether you’re uninsurable or do not want to pay annual premiums, optional enhanced death benefits can be a great way to create a legacy.Your retirement is not something to gamble with or leave to chance. You worked hard to save for retirement and deserve to retire knowing that you and your loved ones are taken care of. Work with your Stifel Financial Advisor to make sure you are continually working toward success in retirement.
You’ve EARNED it!
Investors should obtain a prospectus for an annuity’s contract and the underlying subaccounts and consider the investment objective, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. The prospectus, which contains this and other important information, is available from your Financial Advisor and should be read carefully before investing. Variable annuities are not insured by the FDIC or any government agency and involve market risk, including the possible loss of principal.
Diversification and asset allocation do not ensure a profit or protect against loss.
Optional lifetime benefit riders are available at an additional cost and provide income protection, not principal protection. In other words, your investment may decrease in value due to poor market performance, but your income will not be reduced. Guarantees are subject solely to the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance company and do not apply to the safety or performance of amounts invested in the variable investment options. There may be conditions, limitations, and restrictions associated with a particular benefit rider. The cost varies by company, and depending on the annuity company, this charge may be calculated on either the account value or benefit base. Most annuity companies reserve the right to increase this charge if there is an account value step-up of the benefit base (up to a maximum stated fee). This would be in addition to investment account fees and the annuity mortality and expense charge.
Annuities are suitable for long-term investment and entail fees, such as mortality and expense charges and optional benefit rider charges. All withdrawals of taxable amounts, including earnings, are taxable as ordinary income. Withdrawals may be subject to surrender charges, and if made prior to age 59 ½, may be subject to a 10% federal tax penalty. Withdrawals reduce the cash surrender value.
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