123ArticleOnline Logo
Welcome to 123ArticleOnline.com!
ALL >> Insurance >> View Article

What Are Annuities And What Can Go Wrong?

Profile Picture
By Author: Norris Rios
Total Articles: 572
Comment this article
Facebook ShareTwitter ShareGoogle+ ShareTwitter Share

Looking around the news, there is a story that the insurance regulators from five US states have just agreed a $2 million settlement with two Nationwide Life companies for failing to properly supervise the sale of annuities through one of their agents. This raises two questions. What exactly are annuities? and What can go wrong with them? An annuity is a variation on the traditional life insurance policy. As with any permanent policy, you pay a premium which is invested to build up a cash value. But, depending on the terms of the contract, you can receive payment of a lump sum or, more usually, a regular income from the insurance company before your death. For most people it's the same as saving for retirement, except you buy a pension that pays out after you retire. To ensure the maximum control over annuities, they can only be bought through life insurance companies. In every US state, there is a Department or Office of Insurance to regulate local insurance companies. As you will understand from the news story, if an insurance company acts against the interests of its policyholders, the states can step in to fine the company ...
... and order the company to pay compensation to the policyholders affected. In the case of annuities, this is particularly important because the premiums are usually deductible from income before tax. The states therefore have a direct interest in ensuring annuities are not used for unlawful tax avoidance purposes.

Annuities are more complicated than the traditional life insurance contracts and it is always a good idea to have independent advice before buying. In theory, this ensures the fees and charges made by the insurance company are reasonable and that the minimum guaranteed amounts are a realistic investment return on the premiums you pay. During the first phase of the contract, all benefits are deferred, i.e. assuming your life continues, no benefits are paid. But when the trigger occurs — this may be a specific date or an event — the investment fund begins to make payments either to you or the person you nominated to receive the income. This payment can continue for a set period of time or during your lifetime. There can also be benefits paid to your dependents on death. None of this should prevent you from getting life insurance quotes for annuities through sites like this. Getting information about financial products is always useful. But never buy an annuity unless you are sure you understand exactly what the life insurance company is offering.

In the news story, a financial advisory firm in Kansas acted as the agent of two Nationwide Life companies. It sold annuities and then later persuaded its clients to transfer to a new set of annuities specially created by the Nationwide Life companies. In all cases, this transfer caused a loss of investment value to the clients and resulted in them paying $10 million in fees. When complaints were made, the Nationwide Life companies have reinstated the original policies, refunded the fees and paid a penalty to the state regulators. As an aside, this is what should be happening on a regular basis to all the brokers who missold sub-prime mortgages before the housing bubble burst. If you think you have been missold a life insurance product through life insurance quotes obtained online or as a result of bad advice, complain to your local state's Department or Office of Insurance. If your complaint is upheld, you will be compensated for all your losses.

Total Views: 294Word Count: 585See All articles From Author

Add Comment

Insurance Articles

1. Innovations In Music: The Latest Trends In Instruments And Musicians Coverage
Author: micheljordan4

2. Abha Health Id: Your Easy Key To Better Healthcare Access
Author: Nilanjan Das

3. Why Music Teachers Need Insurance Now More Than Ever?
Author: musicinstrumentsins

4. How Do I Insure An Expensive Piano?
Author: victor12johnson

5. Why Every Guitarist Should Protect Their Most Treasured Instrument?
Author: Clarionins

6. Why The Bassoon Is The Breakout Star Of 2025’s Indie Fusion Movement?
Author: musicinstrumentsins

7. Essential Business Insurance Every Recording Studio Needs
Author: victor12johnson

8. Beyond The Music: Secure Your Viola With Coverage You Can Trust
Author: micheljordan4

9. Balancing Growth And Security: How Strategic Finance Drives Smarter Investing
Author: Drishti Desai

10. What Happens If Your Clarinet Is Lost Or Damaged By An Airline?
Author: musicinstrumentsins

11. Classic Car Auto Insurance In California: Protect Your Vintage Ride
Author: Namaste Insurance Agency

12. How To Choose The Best Insurance Plan For Your Musical Instrument Repair Business?
Author: victor12johnson

13. How Cloud-based Invoicing Services Streamline Financial Management
Author: SourceThrive

14. What Happens When You Don’t Insure Your Audio Gear?
Author: micheljordan4

15. The Hidden Risks Of Not Insuring Your Musical Instrument
Author: musicinstrumentsins

Login To Account
Login Email:
Password:
Forgot Password?
New User?
Sign Up Newsletter
Email Address: