Saturday, April 15, 2006

Annuity Reviews

Due to many requests, I am going to begin doing annuity reviews. I will post information about specific annuities and break them down and give you some insight as to how they work. I would like to also give the benefits and pitfalls of each annuity as I do this.

Because the environment is always changing, make sure you check for updates on these annuities. However, there are particular annuities tat seem to be the most popular so I will start with those first.

These will include annuities such as:

Allianz Annuities
Old Mutual Annuities (F&G)
BMA Annuities (RBC Annnuities)
Jefferson Pilot Annuities
American National Annuities
Midland Annuities

And many more.

I will most likely be reviewing mostly equity index and index annuities and probably leave alone variable annuities. This is due to the fact that I am a fan of variables only in very specific circumstances and would rather spend the time reviewing these other annuities.

I will also be one of the moderators in an investment forum and I will keep you posted on that as more details come along.

Remember, Ignorance is NOT BLISS

Sincerely

Tony Bahu
CEO
AnnuityMD.com

Monday, April 10, 2006

Best Annuity Rate

Often times, people are looking for the best rate on a fixed annuity. However, best rate doesn't mean it's the best annuity. Let me explain. In order to give you a bettter rate, an insurance compnay must 'have a reason' for giving a better rate than any other company. In other words, there is often a tradeoff.

Mostly, this tradeoff may come in the form of less liquidity, more time before surrender charges go away, less features, etc.

The point is, nothing is for free. There are always tradeoffs when it comes to investments. If an insurance company is giving you something, they are often taking something away. My favorite example of this is the bonus annuity. Many people compare annuities by their bonuses. However, what you must understand is that bonuses cost something in the long run. Often, the bigger the bonus, the longer the timeframe of the annuity.

Another place a bonus make up for itself is by not giving as good of a rate in subsequent years.

The bottom line is, nothings free in life or in the annuity world. If you are getting something just know you're giving something up. So really, it's not a problem if you understand this. Just remember, best rate does not necessarily mean the best annuity...

Tony Bahu
CEO
AnnuityMD.com