Fixed Income Annuity Provides Tax-Deferred Growth
Jan 9th, 2010 Posted in insurance | no comment »A common concern many people have regarding fixed income annuities is in regards to their tax treatment. The concept behind fixed income annuities is actually quite simple. A fixed annuity is simply an insurance product which pays out a fixed income over a specified period of time. This payment is determined at the time of the contract and typically does not vary.
A feature of the fixed annuity that many retirees find to be most beneficial is the ability to turn the contract into a life annuity. A life annuity is designed to provide a set income for the duration of the annuitant’s life, regardless of the number of years they have left.
The basic tax treatment of fixed income annuities can be considered relatively simple, whereas as with most other tax questions, the details can get rather complicated. Most annuities enjoy tax-deferred growth, and are only taxable upon distribution.
This means that any growth inside of the account during the accumulation and distribution are not taxable until the money is taken out. Needless to say, tax deferred growth can be a significant boost to the overall value of the account.
To determine the tax treatment of an annuity, you must separate it into two sections, taxable and nontaxable. The taxable portion is determined by the exclusion ratio established by the IRS. Take the total amount expected to be received by the annuity and divide it by the amount invested in the annuity. This ratio is then applied to each distribution to decide the applicable taxable and nontaxable amounts.
In a broad sense, the non-taxable portion of the account is the dollars that were paid for by premiums paid into the annuity. The taxable portion deals with the growth of the account and any distributions that exceed the total paid in.
A life annuity contract is generally more difficult to calculate than fixed period annuities. The difficulty with a lifetime annuity is determining the expected payout. Life expectancy tables prepared by the U.S. Treasury Department are used to determine life expectancy of the annuitant.
Though there are certainly disadvantages to fixed income annuities, the fixed annuity can be a very valuable resource for retirement planning and preservation of your hard-earned capital. The lifetime income guarantee that many annuities provide can give the investor a level of security, confidence, and low-risk growth that other vehicles cannot provide. Couple this safety with the tax-deferred treatment of fixed annuities and this insurance product can become a very effective financial planning tool.
Be sure to check out Brian Atkinson at The Fixed Annuity Guide to learn more financial planning topics. The fixed rate annuity can be used in a multitude of creative and powerful ways.
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