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| Frequently Asked Questions |
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| Q. |
What is the difference between a mutual fund and a variable deferred annuity? |
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| A. |
Annuities and mutual funds can each play an important part in a financial plan. However, they are different products, designed to meet different needs and time horizons. Both offer professional money management and pooled investment vehicles. Mutual funds may be appropriate for short, intermediate and long-term goals. There are many types of mutual funds, ranging from conservative to aggressive risk levels.
Variable deferred annuities are long-term vehicles, designed to help your assets grow and provide a steady stream of income in retirement. Variable annuities offer the following features that are not provided by mutual funds: |
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Tax-deferred growth. No taxes are due until you take a withdrawal. Unlike a mutual fund, however, any taxable withdrawals from an annuity before age 59½ are generally subject to a federal tax penalty of 10%. Ordinary income taxes also apply to earnings. |
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Choice of investment portfolios. These stock and bond investment options may be managed by the same portfolio manager and have the same investment objective as a similarly-named mutual fund. However, they invest in separate and distinct portfolios from any publicly-available mutual fund and the underlying portfolios have different holdings and fees, so their performance can vary.
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Tax-free transfers among the investment choices. No taxes are due when you transfer money from one funding choice to another within an annuity. |
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Guaranteed Income for Life. You can convert your savings into a steady income stream that cannot be outlived. |
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Guaranteed Death Benefit. A variable annuity can provide a death benefit that guarantees your beneficiary will receive at least what you contributed to the account, less withdrawals and fees, if you should die before the income payments begin. The death benefit can increase over time. |
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A variable deferred annuity may have higher annual expenses than a mutual fund. In addition to portfolio management fees, annuities generally have a separate account charge. |
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The Opposite of Life Insurance |
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Annuities are sometimes described as the opposite of life insurance. Annuities protect you from living too long, while life insurance protects you from dying too soon. With an annuity, the financial risk of "living too long" is transferred to the insurance company. |
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A Lifetime Income |
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With the average retirement period lengthening, annuities are increasing in importance. Only annuities can pay you an income you can't outlive, even after all the money you put into the annuity has been exhausted. Therefore, annuities can help you manage your cash flow, and provide a safe and competitive means to accumulate funds. |
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