Annuities
Is Buying an Annuity in a Zero Interest Rate Environment a Good Idea?
The Federal Reserve’s decision to cut its benchmark federal funds rate from 1% to a range of 0% raises significant questions for those reassessing their retirement nest egg—a common occurrence following a dramatic selloff in equities according to research conducted by Indiana University’s Alessandro Previtero —and the value of annuities in providing guaranteed lifetime income.
Read MoreIs Buying an Annuity in a Bear Market a Good Idea?
As the stock market experienced unprecedented growth over the past eleven years, many people were naturally less interested in the lifetime income options from pensions or annuities. Who wouldn’t rather have all the assets today so they can invest them with the idea of earning high returns?
Read MoreStrategies To Consider When Building An Effective Retirement Income Plan
The challenge in building an effective retirement income plan is to use available income tools and tactics in a strategic manner to meet the financial goals of retirement while also managing the risks confronting those goals. The financial goals of retirement include sustainably meeting a lifestyle spending goal for as long as one lives, providing…
Read MoreRetirees Should Look Beyond Their Investments For Income Planning
How exactly should retirees adjust their spending in response to changes in the value of their retirement portfolios? Countless variations on spending rules are discussed everywhere from research papers to internet discussion boards.
Read MoreThree Questions To Evaluate Longevity Risk For Retirees
Longevity risk—the risk of running out of assets before running out of time—is fundamental to retirement. We know about the distribution of longevity for the overall population, but an individual cannot know in advance precisely where he or she will fall in the distribution.
Read MoreDoes Your Mindset Affect How You Make Retirement Income Decisions?
The fields of behavioral finance and behavioral economics have uncovered various biases humans have which are great for day-to-day survival, but somewhat maladaptive for long-term investing.
Read MoreWhich Is Better for Retirement Income: Insurance or Investments?
Retirement planning experts have long debated the question: Which is better for retirement income: insurance or investments? Wade Pfau weighs in.
Read MoreAnnuity Pricing Sensitivity
With all of my discussions of annuities lately, it is worthwhile to also consider the sensitivity of annuity pricing to interest rates, gender and age-related mortality factors. Relationship Between Payout Rates and Interest Rates Figure 1 estimates the relationship between annuity payout rates and interest rates for 65-year old males, females, and opposite-gender couples with…
Read MoreSecuring Longevity Insurance Through Income Annuities
I have published a few pieces in the past couple weeks on how income annuities are priced and used. Understanding how to use annuities can be a great benefit when planning for retirement. Let’s consider another possibility.
Read MoreAnnuity Pricing 102
In today’s scenario, we’ll see what happens to the price of an annuity if:
1. We guarantee income will be provided for at least 10 years, regardless of whether the annuitant lives.
2. We provide a cash refund if the annuitant dies before at least receiving their full principal payment.
3. We include a cost-of-living adjustment for annuity payments.
