An annuity can provide you with guaranteed lifetime income and help you increase tax-deferred savings as part of your overall retirement savings plan.
As you approach retirement, you’re likely thinking about what you’ll do: travel, volunteer, move to a new city, spend time with your family. Will you have the income you need to do what you dream of? Building a retirement income plan can help make you feel more in control of your retirement years.
A key component to a successful retirement plan may be guaranteed income — income that you know will be available and that you can rely on, regardless of how long you live and regardless of the stock market’s ups and downs.
What are you looking for in an investment?
As you consider sources of guaranteed income to allow you to fulfill your retirement plans, you may want a guaranteed-income source that can also provide you with:
- Protection from market fluctuations
- Opportunity for growth with downside protection
- Tax-deferred growth
- Choice to leave a legacy
An annuity may be a viable option for providing you with guaranteed income as well as the opportunity for all of these additional benefits.
1. Protection from market fluctuations
It’s hard to know what the stock market will do from year to year, and your appetite for risk might be less as you approach and reach retirement. An annuity might be your safety net to ensure that a portion of your income is protected from the ups and downs of the market.
2. Opportunity for growth with downside protection
Even though you want guaranteed income in retirement, you also want to give the money you invest an opportunity to increase in value. An annuity may offer potential growth with protection from market loss.
3. Tax-deferred growth
Tax-deferred saving provides the potential for greater growth of your investment because you are not taxed until you start taking withdrawals. Depending on your particular income situation, this could be a significant tax savings down the road, leaving you with more money to spend in retirement.
4. Choice to leave a legacy
Providing for your family or any beneficiary after you’ve passed may be one of your financial concerns. An annuity with legacy benefits allows you to pass on the value of that investment as part of your beneficiary planning, giving it even more time to potentially grow in value.
An investment to fit your needs
If you’re looking for any of these features for your retirement investment, an annuity may be a complementary addition to your retirement financial portfolio. An annuity is a contract between a person and an insurance company designed to meet long-term financial goals, such as retirement. That backing provides you with a level of insurance that planned income will always be there for you. When you purchase an annuity, you can choose whether to start receiving regular income from your investment right away, or at a time in the future.
Your monthly income is guaranteed, no matter how long you live — and if you’re healthy in your 60s, the odds are improving that you’ll live into your 80s or your 90s.
By working with your Financial Advisor, you can customize your annuity to fit your needs. While all annuities can offer you guaranteed income throughout your life, different types of annuities give you a number of options. The guaranteed income provided by an annuity can be an important part of a well-rounded retirement plan that allows you to take charge of your retirement years and your money, so you can enjoy the life you’ve dreamed of.