What a Shorter Timeframe Means For You
Three-year rate guarantee annuities are very useful for individuals who know that in a shorter timeframe they will need that large lump sum of money for other financial commitments. This way you can ladder funds through annuities over a series of short term years always knowing that you’ll have a significant amount of liquid assets available to you on a regular basis without penalty.
As with many other interest sensitive investments, the longer you’re willing to commit your money to one investment the higher rate of interest you will earn. A tax deferred fixed annuity is no different with the exception that during the accumulation years you will reap the benefit of tax deferred growth on your money until you use it.
What Happens At The End Of My Annuity Term?
At the end of your annuity term you’re not obligated to remove your money, in fact you may likely wish to move your money to another company for an even higher rate of interest and you can do so without incurring any income tax.
The IRS allows, under their 1035 tax free exchange, for you to transfer an existing annuity’s entire value including your tax deferred growth to a new annuity contract registered in the same owners and annuitants names without being reported as income.
Benefits Of The 1035 Tax Free Exchange
The advantage to the 1035 exchange is that it gives you the freedom to explore better performing opportunities as they become available to you in the future years without concerns over income tax implications.
Avoiding paying taxes on the tax deferred growth allows you to continue to grow the entire annuity value with another company that may be more favorable for you at that time.
Understanding How Financial Advisors Are Paid is Important
Fees for financial planning are not always charged by advisors. Many will provide their services free to you and would then be paid a commission from any product you may purchase. They are still obligated under the Best Interests Rule to place your needs ahead of their own. This “The Best Interest Rule” was recently passed and will take affect this summer of 2020.
We suggest that you ask your advisor how they are paid, what commissions they may receive, what their planning fees are and if there are any ongoing fees they may charge you monthly for oversight or management.
Outside Advice
When moving money to tax qualified investments outside of your retirement plan you can choose a financial advisor that works only for you, understands your individual goals, needs and may take on the capacity of a fiduciary overseeing your investments in your best interests. Often your employer’s retirement plan counselor is limited to offering any investing or investment advice leaving you with the job of doing it yourself and you may not be comfortable with that option.
Movement of Money Strategy
TSP and retirement plans available to employees are typically long term and dollar cost averaging growth investing. Once you retire your strategy will need to change form growth to income. To make this change in one movement of money at one time is not always the best choice. Having an outside plan now, while you are still working, will allow you the opportunity to slowly transfer your growth strategy into an income strategy so by the time you do retire you can ease into a stream of income that may better meet your needs.
It’s Easy To Move Your Money From Your Plan
Provided you are age 591/2 or older you may be allowed an in service retirement funds transfer. This will allow you to transfer all or a portion of your retirement plan funds to an outside retirement plans self directed IRA allowing you to take advantage of selecting an annuity to other qualifying alternative investments for your funds today. Many plans offer the ability to phone in your request to transfer money to a new custodian for a tax qualified IRA account. Sometimes its simple paperwork and your financial advisor should be familiar with each of the processes and walk you through them.
You can learn more about the types of annuities that are available by visiting the annuity selection tab on our website.