Annuities or Life Insurance?
Fixed/Indexed Annuities and Fixed/Indexed Universal Life Insurance are very powerful tools for use in retirement financial planning. But which tool should you use? Or should you use both? Or is neither appropriate? The following is a comparison between the two tools, which highlights the important similarities and differences:
FIXED OR INDEXED ANNUITY (NOT VARIABLE)
Investment Attributes
- Funds are Nonqualified or Qualified (Trad IRA or Roth IRA)
- Principal is tax-deferred (Trad) or taxed (Roth, Non)
- Principal investment is protected from market loss
- Interest is tax-deferred (Trad, Non) or tax-free (Roth)
- Interest rate is fixed or market-indexed (never < 0%)
Retirement Income
- Includes Annuitization or Lifetime Income option
- Lifetime Income has premium and interest bonus (some)
- Lifetime Income has anti-inflation increases (some)
Death Benefit
- Includes Death Benefit of account balance (unless annuitized)
- Has no option for additional Term Insurance Death Benefit
- Death Benefit is taxable (Trad) or partially taxable (Roth, Non)
- Death Benefit has no extra cost
Health Benefit
- Includes Long-Term Care Insurance coverage option (some)
- Lifetime Income increases for chronic illness (some)
FIXED OR INDEXED UNIVERSAL LIFE INSURANCE (NOT VARIABLE)
Investment Attributes
- Funds are Nonqualified
- Principal is taxed
- Principal investment is protected from market loss
- Interest is tax-deferred (withdrawal) or tax-free (loan)
- Interest rate is fixed or market-indexed (never < 0%)
Retirement Income
- Includes Tax-free loans that do not have to be re-paid
- Includes interest bonus (some)
- Has no anti-inflation increases (manually increase as needed)
Death Benefit
- Includes Death Benefit amount much larger than premiums
- Includes option for additional Term Insurance Death Benefit
- Death Benefit is tax-free
- Death Benefit has an extra cost (Cost of Insurance)
Health Benefit
- Includes Long-Term Care Insurance coverage option (some)
- Has Living Benefit for critical, chronic or terminal illness
Highlighted: Allianz 222 Annuity
Like all Fixed Index Annuities (FIAs), the Allianz 222 Annuity offers principal protection from market downturns. Also, it offers potential interest (based on chosen allocation options), tax deferral, and a death benefit.
Additionally, the Allianz 222 Annuity goes even further:
- Firstly, you get 2 ways for a bonus. Allianz 222 Annuity credits the Protected Income Value with a 20% premium bonus in contract year one. Also, the Protected Income Value receives an interest bonus equal to 50% of any interest earned from the chosen allocations.
- Secondly, you get 2 ways for income increases. Income withdrawals increase based on earned interest plus the interest bonus. Also, confinement to an eligible hospital, nursing facility, or assisted-living facility doubles the income withdrawals.
- Lastly, you get 2 ways for a death benefit. Your beneficiaries get the full accumulation value as a lump sum. Alternatively, they get the full Protected Income Value as annuity payments for at least five years.
Highlighted: Allianz Life Pro+ Advantage
The Allianz Life Pro+ Advantage Indexed Universal Life Insurance provides more features than standard life insurance:
- A death benefit provides generally tax-free funds to your beneficiaries.
- Additional Term Insurance adapts coverage amount as needed.
- The Life Insurance policy account accumulates a tax-deferred cash value. Also, an interest bonus (available on certain index allocation options) can help increase the accumulation.
- Fund options help meet future financial needs with the ability to access available cash value when you want, for what you want.
- Health provision protects against chronic or terminal illness.
- Index lock provides ability to capture indexed interest rate. Also, this feature can help protect against a zero-interest credit.
Available Insurance Companies
The above highlighted Allianz products are examples of feature-rich annuities and life insurance. As a result, they are flexible to meet general purpose needs. However, there are other less costly products available that have less features. Consequently, these other products could be better at meeting the specific needs of a client. So at SET, we take the time to understand our client's needs. Consequently, we can recommend an income product best suited to meet those needs.
In the southwest region of the United States that SET services, the following insurance companies are available (some variances may exist between the specific states of the region):
ANNUITIES
AIG (MSG)
American Equity
American National
Athene
Annexus Athene (IA)
Baltimore Life
Delaware Life
Fidelity and Guaranty Life
Global Atlantic
Global Atlantic - Elite
Great American
Legacy Marketing Group
Life of the Southwest
Mutual of Omaha
National Western
Nationwide - Annexus
North American
Pacific Life
Security Benefit
Transamerica - Annexus
LIFE INSURANCE
AIG
Ameritas
Life of the Southwest
Lincoln National
Minnesota Life
Mutual of Omaha
National Guardian Life
Nationwide Life
New York Life
North American
One America
Protective Life
Symetra Life
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