Annuity FAQs

Purchasing an annuity is one way to earmark money for your retirement. But these financial products can be complex. Make sure you understand the basics, including costs, fees, types, payout options, inheritance and taxation.

Rachel Christian, writer and researcher for RetireGuide
  • Written by
    Rachel Christian

    Rachel Christian

    Financial Writer and Certified Educator in Personal Finance

    Rachel Christian is a writer and researcher for RetireGuide. She covers annuities, Medicare, life insurance and other important retirement topics. Rachel is a member of the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education.

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  • Edited By
    Matt Mauney
    Matt Mauney, Senior Editor for RetireGuide

    Matt Mauney

    Financial Editor

    Matt Mauney is an award-winning journalist, editor, writer and content strategist with more than 15 years of professional experience working for nationally recognized newspapers and digital brands. He has contributed content for ChicagoTribune.com, LATimes.com, The Hill and the American Cancer Society, and he was part of the Orlando Sentinel digital staff that was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2017.

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  • Financially Reviewed By
    Toby Walters, CFA®
    Toby Walters, CFA

    Toby Walters, CFA®

    Chartered Financial Analyst and Paraplanner

    Toby Walters, CFA®, has over 25 years of financial research experience. With a knowledge and understanding of researching and analyzing financial data, he has developed a unique and experienced viewpoint on money matters. He has been a chartered financial analyst since 2003, and most recently a portfolio analyst and paraplanner.

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  • Published: August 11, 2020
  • Updated: August 16, 2024
  • 8 min read time
  • This page features 10 Cited Research Articles
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APA Christian, R. (2024, August 16). Annuity FAQs. RetireGuide.com. Retrieved October 30, 2024, from https://www.retireguide.com/annuities/faq/

MLA Christian, Rachel. "Annuity FAQs." RetireGuide.com, 16 Aug 2024, https://www.retireguide.com/annuities/faq/.

Chicago Christian, Rachel. "Annuity FAQs." RetireGuide.com. Last modified August 16, 2024. https://www.retireguide.com/annuities/faq/.

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General Annuity FAQs

What is an annuity?

An annuity is a customizable contract between you and an insurance company. You pay a lump sum or series of premiums in exchange for a guaranteed fixed income stream from the insurer.

Payouts from the insurance company can last for a specified time period or the rest of your life. Annuities are often used to guarantee income in retirement, similar to a pension.

How is an annuity different from a traditional savings or retirement account?

Annuities and traditional savings accounts are both considered low-risk investment options that may interest. However, there are many differences. Annuities are backed by the financial strength of the insurer while savings accounts are most often backed by FDIC-insurance. Most annuity contracts are build to offer lifetime income while savings accounts do not. Other differences include fee structure, liquidity and the minimum amount of money required to open an account.

Annuities and retirement accounts — such as 401(k) plans and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) —feature tax-advantaged ways to save for retirement. However, IRAs and 401(k) place your money in investments, while annuities are insurance products that grow money in various ways ranging from guaranteed rates of return to progressively more market-based options.

Annuities also generally have higher fees than retirement accounts, but without any annual IRS-imposed contribution limits.

What are the benefits of an annuity?

One of the most attractive features of annuities is creating a guaranteed life-long stream of income. Many people worry about outliving their savings in retirement, and annuities help hedge against this risk.

Another key advantage of annuities is the ability to save money for your future without paying taxes on the growth until later when you withdraw the money.

Unlike retirement accounts, there’s no IRS-imposed limits on annuity contributions.

What are the drawbacks of annuities?

Certain annuities can be complex due to the types of income and growth guarantees available. Conservative annuity policies such as fixed rate annuities will not grow your money as quickly as other investment options, such as investing directly into the stock market.

Annuities also lack liquidity, which means it’s difficult to quickly access additional money without incurring high fees.

Can I sell an annuity?

If your financial priorities change, you can sell your future annuity payments back to the insurance company at a discounted rate in exchange for cash. You can sell your entire annuity or just part of it.

If you sell future payments, you will receive less money than if you had continued the original payment schedule specified in your contract.

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Buying an Annuity FAQs

What types of annuities are available?

There are three main types of annuities: Fixed, fixed index and variable.

Fixed annuities are tied to a guaranteed interest rate and are the lowest risk option. They offer fixed, predictable payouts and an explicit guarantee of principal protection from the issuing insurance company.

Fixed Index annuities feature characteristics that provide a balance between the guarantees of fixed annuities and the higher potential growth rate of variable annuities. Growth is linked to a portion of a market index return, such as that of the S&P 500 but without the risk of losing your principal if the market turns negative. This makes index annuities less risky than variable annuities while offering greater earning potential than fixed annuities.

Variable annuities carry greater risk because account growth is tied to an investment portfolio. Growth will vary based on the market performance and any optional riders purchased.

Who should consider buying an annuity?

If you want to set aside additional money for retirement, an annuity's tax-free growth can be beneficial. If you’ve already maxed out other retirement savings vehicles, such as a 401(k) or IRA, annuities may be even more appealing due to their lack of contribution limits.

You may also consider purchasing an annuity if your market risk tolerance is low. An annuity is considered a low-risk financial product that can guarantee lifetime income payments.

if moderating your exposure to the market appeals to you, you may want to consider purchasing an annuity.

What’s the difference between immediate and deferred annuities?

The terms immediate and deferred indicate when annuity payouts from the insurance company begin.

Payouts from immediate annuities start less than a year after purchase.

Deferred annuities, on the other hand, begin payouts further in the future. Deferred annuities are most commonly used to plan for a retirement date multiple years into the future.

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Annuity Payouts and Costs FAQs

Can I withdraw money at any time?

The answer depends on the contract and whether you have annuitized, which means turned the contract into lifetime income. Unannuitized contracts may have surrender charges for withdrawals that exceed 10% of the contract value.

If you withdraw money from an annuity before the age of 59.5, you will face a 10 percent tax penalty from the Internal Revenue Service.

Are annuity payouts taxed?

Yes, but how annuities are taxed and how much you’ll owe can vary.

For example, qualified annuities use pre-tax dollars and are often funded using a 401(k) or IRA. Because this money hasn’t been taxed yet, payouts from this annuity type are fully taxable as income.

However, annuities purchased with a Roth IRA or Roth 401(k) usually enjoy tax-free payouts.

Annuities funded with after-tax dollars are considered nonqualified. Money you originally contributed to the account is not taxed, but any earnings or interest is taxed at your regular income rate.

What are surrender charges?

Withdrawing money early in your annuity contract can result in surrender charges.

Many insurers levy this fee if you take money from your account within the first five to seven years. The average surrender charge is around 7 percent but may be as high as 20 percent.

Surrender charges tend to decrease each year. So, taking money from your annuity after a year will have a higher surrender fee than taking money out after five years.

Some annuities let you withdraw up to 10 percent a year from your account without paying a surrender fee.

Can I lose principal in an annuity?

Possibly. Fixed annuities guarantee the safety of your principal, or the money given to the insurer to fund your annuity.

Fixed index annuities offer protection against losses that safeguards your investment value when the market is down. Such guarantees typically reset after a certain period of time to incorporate some of the credit growth.

According to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, it’s possible to lose money in a variable annuity, including potential loss of your original investment, or principal.

That’s because the value of a variable annuity and its returns are linked to investment options you select. If those investments do poorly, you can lose money.

How much does an annuity cost?

You select how much money to place in your annuity. Depending on the type of annuity you choose, this can be as little as $10,000 or as much as $1 million or more.

However, the cost of annuity fees and commissions can vary. Typically, more complex financial products come with the potential for higher fees from optional features and riders.

For example, fixed annuities have lower costs than variable or indexed annuities. That’s because fixed annuities pay at a predictable rate and aren’t tied to investment portfolios or market indexes.

John Clark, licensed insurance advisor and owner of Senior Solutions Insurance Agency, discusses the costs associated with buying an annuity.

Inherited Annuity and Beneficiary FAQs

What happens to my annuity if I die?

It depends on how you structured your annuity contract with the insurance company.

With some annuities, payments end when you die.

But if the annuity contract has a death benefit provision, the insurer will continue making payments to your spouse or other designated beneficiary.

How does an inherited annuity work?

If your annuity contract includes a death benefit, your selected beneficiary will either receive all the remaining funds or a guaranteed minimum amount.

There are a few different ways nonspousal beneficiaries can receive the money after you pass away. This includes taking a one-time lump sum, stretching payments over the beneficiary's lifetime or taking payments over five years.

Spouses may also have the option to continue the original contract as the annuity’s new owner.

Do I have to pay taxes on an inherited annuity?

You will owe income tax on the difference between the principal paid into the annuity and the value of the account when the owner dies. Taxes are not owed until money is withdrawn from the account.

Beneficiaries can lessen their tax burden by spreading payments over a longer period. Taking a lump sum comes with the highest tax consequences.

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10 Cited Research Articles

  1. Lake, R. (2019, November 14). How Much Does an Annuity Cost? Retrieved from https://finance.yahoo.com/news/much-does-annuity-cost-181102718.html
  2. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (2018, October 30). Updated Investor Bulletin: Variable Annuities. Retrieved from https://www.sec.gov/oiea/investor-alerts-and-bulletins/ib_variableannuities
  3. CNN Money. (n.d.). Are there tax benefits with annuities? Retrieved from https://money.cnn.com/retirement/guide/annuities_basics.moneymag/index3.htm?iid=EL
  4. CNN Money. (n.d.). What are the advantages of annuities? Retrieved from https://money.cnn.com/retirement/guide/annuities_basics.moneymag/index4.htm
  5. CNN Money. (n.d.). What if I decide to withdraw the money? Retrieved from https://money.cnn.com/retirement/guide/annuities_basics.moneymag/index9.htm
  6. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). (n.d.). Annuities. Retrieved from https://www.finra.org/investors/investing/investment-products/annuities
  7. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. (n.d.). Selecting Retirement Payout Methods. Retrieved from https://www.finra.org/investors/learn-to-invest/types-investments/retirement/managing-retirement-income/selecting-retirement-payout-methods
  8. Insurance Information Institute. (n.d.). What are the different types of annuities? Retrieved from https://www.iii.org/article/what-are-different-types-annuities
  9. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (n.d.). Annuities. Retrieved from https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing/investing-basics/investment-products/insurance-products/annuities
  10. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (n.d.). Variable Annuities: What You Should Know. Retrieved from https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing/general-resources/news-alerts/alerts-bulletins/investor-bulletins/updated-5