Immediate annuities can provide dependable financial security: a stream of income payments guaranteed to continue for the rest of your life or for a period you select. If you are about to retire, an immediate annuity may be a good place to put a large lump sum of money accumulated through a retirement plan or other savings vehicle. You also can convert your deferred annuity into an immediate annuity to start receiving income.
To purchase an immediate annuity, you make a one-time payment, and distributions must begin within a year, but typically begin within a month. Immediate annuities can be fixed or variable, just like deferred annuities. The income payments you receive from fixed immediate annuities are based on the amount you contribute, your age and the interest rate environment at the time of purchase. The payments to you will not change. The payments from variable immediate annuities fluctuate based on the performance of the investment options you choose. Although payments may go up or down, variable annuities are designed to provide income that can increase over time to help you keep pace with inflation. Keep in mind that because variable annuities are invested in the market, there is a possibility that you could lose money.
Your contributions to an immediate annuity are not generally readily accessible. If you need more income than the immediate annuity provides, you can keep some of your retirement funds in a liquid account, such as a savings account or money market fund. Also, if you choose an income for life option with no refund guarantee, and you should die before your contributions are all paid out, the balance of your contributions and any earnings will not go to your heirs. Fortunately, annuities generally offer several guaranteed payout options for your heirs. For more information, see the Payout Options with Guarantees section.
When selecting the funding options for your immediate annuity, keep inflation in mind. You want investments that will keep pace with inflation. Variable annuities can let you participate in stock market growth, historically shown to be one of the best ways to combat inflation over the long term. However, the downside is that payments can drop if the market drops. Not only is this unnerving, but it will make it harder for you to budget. If you still want the potential for higher payments, consider dividing your retirement savings between fixed and variable options to provide fixed payments, as well as growth potential.
