annuity ladder | Annuities

Ladder Annuities for Potentially More Income

If you’re 70 and living off your income from a Certificate of Deposit (CD) you may find it more advantageous to switch to a laddered annuities for more income. Let’s consider how. A $100,000 5yr-CD paying 5% gives you an annual taxable income of $5,000. At a 25% income tax rate, you’re left with $3,500. Of course you’re also left with your $100,000 too. But if you need more income, and you don’t want to get locked into any current income rate, you may consider investing your $100,000 into a set of annuities. Laddering these (i.e. stagger when begins its income stream) allows you to follow income rates if they go up (or down). Laddered Annuities Option We’ll assume you’re 70; and with your $100,000, you buy 5 annuities each for a single premium of $20,000. The first will be a Single Premium Immediate Annuity (SPIA) for a 5 year payout term. The four others will be Single Premium Deferred Annuities (SPDA) geared to produce a payout after 5, 10, 15, and 20 years respectively. Let’s consider what sort of income you’d generate in this case. Refer to the table. These are hypothetical examples and all fees have been ignored (immediate annuities [...]

Ladder Annuities for Control over Interest Rate Fluctuations

One major advantage of an immediate fixed annuity is the security of a guaranteed income. You can count on those regular monthly payments. If returns on other investments diminish–because of a fall in interest rates or a stock market slump–your annuity payments remain steady. Offsetting this advantage is if interest rates are down when you purchase your annuity, your monthly payments will be less and may not keep up as easily with inflation. Is there a way to offset this situation? First, realize that once your immediate annuity begins, it is irrevocable. You cannot change your mind; there’s no lump-sum repayment provision (there are a few companies that offer commutation–the ability to get your principal back at a discount). So, shop for the best deal when you buy. The amount of your monthly annuity check is based on the size of your investment, your age, and what the insurance company estimates it will earn on their contract with you. But realize, too, that the monthly payment on the same size investment can vary significantly from company to company. Get several different proposals to ensure you are getting a good deal. Do not let anyone rush you into making a purchase. The consequences [...]