See exactly how much money you will get on a monthly basis once you retire. With our simple Annuity Calculator you can see how much money you will have coming into your bank account. Got a bonus you want to put to retirement, easy. Put it in your retirement annuity account so that when you retire, you’ll have more coming every month.
No catch.
Your get 3% a month on your money. Deposit money each month and know exactly how much money you’ll have when you retire. Got unexpected expenses? You can cash out your annuity money you’ve invested at any time.
It’s the same plan for you, me, your parents and your children.
With your Due Fixed Annuity plan you can expect at your retirement age you will start receiving a fixed sum of money each month until you die.
Want to see how much money you’ll earn every month? You can use our simple annuity calculator to illustrate exactly how much. You can also see exactly how much you’ll receive once you login to your account.
“The number one worry for people when they retire is running out of money.”
Due was started to help people like me and you have a retirement plan that they don’t have to think about or worry about long term. We build trust with our customers by having a transparent company:
We are like you, just trying to make the most out of life and plan for the best life after we stop working. Life can be tricky, you shouldn’t have to think about this kinda stuff.
You personally control your retirement income. The more money you put into a fixed annuity, the more money it will pay out when you retire.
The nice thing about retirement is the more you save every month, the more you will have coming to you when you retire.
A fixed annuity provides you a way to easily save money over the long term. You can set it up on auto-deposit so you don’t have to think about it. Annuities allows interest to accumulate tax deferred.
Over the long term, you’re paying for a stream of income for the rest of your life. If you pass away early, whatever remaining balance in your account will be paid out to your survivors.
I’m guessing you might not have a fixed annuity plan. Regardless of your demographic, you probably have a checking account. In fact, 95% of households have a bank account. Hopefully, you have a little financial security as well through a savings account. And, because it’s never too early to think about retirement, you’ve at least kicked the tires on a 401(k), IRA, or Social Annuity.
The thing is, if you really want to get the most out of your retirement, then you need to have multiple income sources. In other words, your retirement plan should consist of plans like a 401(k), Social Security, and annuities.
Despite the fact that annuities can be traced back to Ancient Rome and provide a guaranteed lifetime income, most people shrug it off. Maybe because they’ve gotten some bad advice from so-called financial experts. Or, perhaps they’re just not all that knowledgeable about annuities.
Whatever the culprit, annuities should without question be considered as a part of your portfolio. And, to help you get started, let’s take a closer look at one of the most straightforward annuity types; the fixed annuity.
How concerned are you about retiring? For over half of Americans, this topic might be worrisome. After all, it’s not an easy transition to part with your career — which has most likely defined you for decades.
There are many facets to the issues people worry about in retirement — including that they’re going to be bored or lonely. There’s also anxiety over finances, like carrying too much debt or not being able to pay living expenses or medical bills. And, what if Social Security dries up or you outlive your savings?
While all are valid considerations, there may be practical and effective ways to ease your uneasiness over retirement. And, that’s through a fixed annuity.
The short answer? A fixed annuity is simply an insurance contract. In return for the contributions that you make, you’re guaranteed either a series of payments or a lump sum for the rest of your life. And unlike investments such as a variable annuity, you won’t lose any of your hard-earned money to stock or bond market volatility.
Now, let’s give you a longer and more in-depth explanation on what an annuity is.
A fixed annuity is also known as a multi-year guaranteed annuity (MYGA). However, there are a variety of other names that fixed annuities go by, including;
This explanation isn’t to confuse you or muddy the waters. Nope. The reason is that you will hear all of these names to describe how a fixed annuity works, as well as how to find the different type of annuity that you want. For the time being though — just know that a fixed annuity is a tax-deferred, high-yield savings account designed solely for retirement savings.
A fixed annuity performs similarly to a Certificate of Deposit (CD), that’s why it’s been dubbed a CD annuity or CD-like annuity. Just like CD rates, both the principal, interest, and the amount of benefits are guaranteed with a fixed annuity. Also, fixed annuity rates accumulate just as a Certificate of Deposit (CD) does.
The key difference is that your earnings will grow tax-free until you begin making withdrawals. For the uninitiated, this tax advantage is called tax-deferral. Another difference is that while a CD is offered by a bank or other-FDIC insured institution, fixed annuities are purchased by an insurance company or approved provider.
In addition to providing a guaranteed rate of return for the investment term you’ve agreed upon in your contract, you also have the opportunity to turn your fixed annuity savings into a lifelong pension-like income. It’s crucial to understand, however, that the fixed annuity guarantee is backed by insurance companies’ financial strength. You can find this out via independent rating agencies like AM Best and Standard & Poor’s.
After you’ve found a financially strong insurance company, you have two options for buying a fixed annuity. The first option is through one, big lump sum. The other is through a series or payments over a specified period of time. In turn, the insurance company guarantees that your account will grow at a certain rate of interest during a specific period of time. This is what’s known as the accumulation phase.
It’s during the accumulation phase when your account grows tax-deferred. Once you annuitize the contract, distributions will be taxed based on an exclusion ratio. This is the ratio of the premium payments you’ve made to the amount accumulated in the annuity account. FYI, this would be based on gains from the interest earned during this phase. After that, the premiums paid will be excluded and the portion attributable to gains is taxed. This is often expressed as a percentage.
When you, the annuity owner or annuitant, begin receiving regular income from your annuity, the insurance company will calculate your payments based on several different factors. These factors include the amount of money in the account, how long the payments are to continue, age, gender, and life expectancy. At this time, the payout phase begins. And this payout phase will continue either for a specified number of years or for the rest of the owner’s life.
Just be aware that all of the options listed above come with penalty taxes, surrender charges, or income taxes. You should also anticipate annual fees with deferred annuities as well.
Regardless of the fees involved, a deferred annuity allows you to have more control over your money as you have more flexible options than just a lifetime income. For example, if you need to make a withdrawal to pay for an emergency medical expense, you can do this as needed.
Death Benefit for Beneficiaries
Also, it should be mentioned that deferred annuities come with a simple standard death benefit. Let’s say that you pass away during the accumulation period, your deferred annuity will pay some, if not all, of the current annuity’s value to your beneficiaries.
Just as you have this option — your beneficiaries can decide on either taking one payment or multiple annuity income payments over time. Typically, the death benefit amount is actually greater than the annuity accumulation value or the minimum guaranteed surrender value.
You may also choose an enhanced death benefit. The advantage of an enhanced death benefit is that it could increase the value of the benefit’s value. But, you will have to dish out an additional cost.
Fixed-rate annuities, along with MYGAs, earn a guaranteed fixed interest rate from the insurer whom they purchased the annuity from. The insurer also sets up the annuity and the contract can range anywhere from two years to 20 years. In a way, they work similarly to CDs that you buy from a bank.
At the conclusion of the annuity rate period, the insurance company will establish a new interest rate for the next rate term. Not surprisingly, this is called the renewal rate. The rate on renewed interest rate may not be the exact same as the initial fixed annuity rate in your contract. In other words, it could be higher or lower.
The good news? All fixed deferred annuities come with a guaranteed minimum interest rate. This is the lowest possible rate that the annuity can earn. And, because this is clearly spelled out in your contract, it can’t change — for as long as you own the annuity.
Before putting your John Hancock on the contract, ask what your initial annuity rate will be. Also, find out the duration of the annuity before it’s time to renew. Doing your due diligence from the get-go will ensure that you’ll get the most out of the annuity.
Once you sign the contract you’ll begin making contributions to the annuity. You can either make your contributions with one payment or through a series of payments. From there, the annuity enters the accumulation phase where it will grow tax-deferred. When you annuitize the contract, however, the distributions will be taxed on an exclusion ratio.
Speaking of disbursements, you also have the following two choices;
Remember that fixed annuities can be compared to a CD. And it’s easy to see the parallels as they operate quite similarly to each other.
Both a fixed annuity and CD are safe and secure ways to save money, and build your wealth. While you won’t make as much money as you would on riskier investments like hedge funds or real estate — the interest credited to your account is higher than most savings accounts.
Another similarity? Both a fixed annuity and a CD are less liquid in the shorter term than say cash, money market assets, or mutual funds. The reason being that in order for the CD or annuity to earn interest, you must lock the money in the account for a specific period of time.
There is an important distinction between a fixed annuity and CD. And that’s the fact that fixed annuities are considered a long-term investment. And, thanks to the tax-preferential treatment, they are often viewed as the better option for retirement savings. On the other hand, CDs are a short-term investment, like storing money to buy a home.
But, that’s not the only difference between a fixed annuity and CD. Let’s take a closer look at what separates them;
While often considered one in the same — fixed annuities and MYGAs are not the same. Rather, MYGAs are a type of fixed annuity. And, the main difference is the timeframe that the contracts guarantee the fixed interest rate.
More specifically, a MYGA has the same fixed annuity rate each year for the length of the contact. So, if you lock-in a MYGA at a 3% interest rate for 10 years, that’s what you’re going to receive.
That’s not the case with a traditional fixed annuity. A traditional fixed annuity may offer an initial fixed interest rate that’s more favorable. This is known as a teaser rate. However, the rate will be lower in later years. As an example, during the first two years of a 10 year annuity, you may earn 5% interest. But, from year 3 to 10, it will drop to 2.5%. As mentioned, with Due — your rate is always 3%.
MYGAs are also conservative by nature. As such, they’re often better suited for those who are closer to retirement. But, if you’re hoping to outpace inflation, you might want to consider a different retirement vehicle.
Still on the fence about buying a fixed annuity? The following benefits may convince you to buy a fixed annuity sooner than later.
If you aren’t willing to take the risk of variable annuities, where you choose the investments and the performance is tied to the market — then a fixed annuity is perfect just for you.
With fixed annuities, the rates are upfront and stated in the contract. These rates are derived from the yield that the life insurance company generates from its own investment portfolio.
In most cases, these investments come from high-quality corporate and government bonds. Also, the insurance company then takes these earnings to pay you what was agreed upon in the contract.
Perhaps the main perk of a fixed annuity is that you don’t lose any money. The insurance company promises that you will not lose either the principal or interest that the annuity has accumulated. That means your money is protected against declining interest rates and market downturns. Your annuity is even protected against severe market losses like the “Great Depression.”
Did you know that a fixed annuity is a tax-qualified vehicle? Having a tax-qualified vehicle is important to know since that makes the interest you’ve earned not subject to taxation. As such, you’ll only be taxed when you withdraw money from your account. Be aware that this includes both occasional withdrawals or regular income.
For people in higher tax brackets, the tax deferral benefit of a fixed annuity can make a huge difference in how the account grows over the years. And for the record, other qualified retirement accounts, such as IRAs and 401(k) plans, are also tax deferred.
Whenever you want, you can convert your fixed annuity into an immediate annuity. In turn, the annuity will generate a guaranteed income payout for a designated period of time — let’s say for the next 20 years. Or you can also opt to receive lifetime payments.
Again, the life insurance company assumes all the risk when it comes to fixed annuities. Carrying and assuming all risk makes them responsible for the security of the money that you’ve invested into the annuity.
The insurance company must also fulfill any promises that were made in the contract. Also, annuities are not federally insured — though many special government certificates have to be obtained by the financial company and the insurance company in order to offer annuities.
Taking both into consideration, you should conduct business with financially strong insurance companies that have earned high ratings from major independent ratings agencies.
Other pros of fixed annuities are;
Despite the advantages listed above, fixed annuities aren’t without their flaws. Before committing to a fixed annuity, do your homework. You want to make sure that you’re selecting the right annuity type for your retirement plan and goals. For example, if you’re close to retirement, a deferred fixed annuity might not be in your best interest unless you can make a larger lump sum contribution. The same is true of a variable annuity that may come with too much risk at such a crucial stage.
It’s vital that you do your homework on the insurance company that you’re working with. Agan, annuities are not overseen by the FDIC. So, if you chose poorly, and the insurance company folds, you’re out-of-luck. Outside of those general warnings, be advised of the following fixed annuity pitfalls;
Annuities, in general, have been granted special treatment by current law. In particular, when it comes to taxes. As previously stated, the income tax on fixed annuities, as well as MYGAs are deferred. When you hear deferred — it’s just another way of saying that you won’t be taxed on the interest or investment returns while your money is accumulating.
But, don’t confuse tax-deferred with tax-free. You will still have to pay the ordinary income tax as soon as you begin making withdrawals from your account. Having to pay income tax is also true if you receive an income stream or take a draw from your annuity payments.
What happens if you die and you have beneficiaries? Usually, your beneficiary will owe income tax on any death benefits that they are the recipients of. And — this can’t be stressed enough — you’re responsible for a 10% tax penalty if you withdraw any annuity payments before the age 59½.
Qualified fixed annuities generally have a tax status that refers to employer-sponsored savings plans, such as IRAs, 401k, or SEP. These types of plans are pre-taxed funds. As such, when you withdraw any funds from your account, 100% of the income taken out will be subject to ordinary income taxes.
There is an exception, however. And that’s with the Roth IRA fixed annuity. All funds withdrawn from these annuity contracts will be tax-free.
Unlike qualified fixed annuities, non-qualified fixed annuities are paid with “after-taxed” money. That means that as the owner of a non-qualified fixed annuity you will be subject to paying income taxes on the interest credits earned — despite not having not been taxed yet.
Disclaimer: Before agreeing to a contract, ask a tax professional about your specific situation so that you’ll receive the proper tax advice.
Did you know that your existing fixed, variable, and indexed annuities can be easily exchanged into a new annuity contract? If you did not know that — now you do. The exchange happens through a process called a 1035 exchange. This IRS code also lets you transfer a life insurance policy, long-term care product, or endowment for another similar product — tax-free.
For those looking to maximize the value of your annuities, this is a popular approach. Mainly, because there aren’t tax consequences. For example, you could exchange an outdated and underperforming product for a shiny new product that contains more attractive investment options.
In terms of a fixed annuity, you could use a 1035 exchange to swap to a lower contract for a fixed annuity contract that has a higher interest rate. Or if you no longer want to assume the risks associated with a variable annuity you could trade that contract in for a more consistent fixed annuity.
Before making any decisions, keep in mind the key 1035 annuity exchange considerations;
When selecting a fixed annuity, there are three considerations you should pay extra close attention to; guaranteed annual rate, insurer rating, and the investment term.
If you want to make sure that a fixed annuity is right for you, use the following information listed above as a starting point. From there, speak with your financial advisor or insurance provider to be 100% certain.
What is a good annuity rate? Asking what rate is a good annuity rate is probably the most important question you’ll want answered.
Currently, average annuity rates, one you can expect between 2.15% and 3.50% ranging between 2 years and 10 years in length for average annuity rates. These rates can fluctuate, so you can use resources like Annuity.org for updated rates as they do this every work.
Having to always be figuring a rate is the reason Due decided on the 3% rate — and they stick with the same rate — no figuring.
You can also use our fixed annuity calculator to solve your exact rate of return.
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