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Questions to Ask Before Buying an Annuity

1. What is the annuity's term?

In general, equity-indexed annuities (and other annuities, for that matter) require tying up your money for anywhere from five to 10 years. Like any stock-market investment, however, the shorter the term, the greater your risk that the market won't perform well over the holding period.

2. What exactly do you earn when the market goes up?

Equity-indexed annuities credit you with anywhere from 50 to 100 percent of the price gain of the market -- excluding dividends. Since you're not earning dividends, you won't earn as much as you might by investing directly in the market. The percentage rate you earn (called the participation rate) may change from year to year. Make sure you check with your agent.

3. At the end of the term, how does the company calculate your gain?

There are five methods of indexing gains. Some equity-indexed annuities use the market price on the day your annuity matures. Others look at the market price on each policy anniversary and pick the highest one. Some policies credit you with a portion of each year's market gains -- if there are any. Others simply average the gains. Make sure you ask which method the policy you're considering uses.

4. Are there any limits to how much you can earn?

Sometimes, equity-indexed annuities put a cap on how much you can earn during the year. 

5. What happens if stock prices decline?

This depends on how your annuity is indexed. In general, if the stock market goes down, you can not earn as much or maybe nothing at all. However, the good news is, the main purpose of an Equity Indexed Annuity is to protect your capital.

6. What happens if you want to quit the annuity early?

Some policies will give you the guaranteed minimum return, while others will credit you with all or even part of your earnings, minus whatever surrender fee was established when you bought the policy. Getting out early may mean taking a loss.

7. What if everything crashes?

Equity-indexed annuities do carry a guaranteed minimum return, but only if you keep the policy until its maturity date. The guaranteed return is usually at least 3 percent, but that may not be 3 percent of what you paid into the policy in the first place. Some companies guarantee you'll get at least 3 percent of 90 percent of what you spent. Also make sure you check on how that minimum return is computed. If, for example, you get at least 3 percent compounded annually, that works out to a little more than a 10 percent gain after seven years.

Please consult a professional agent or broker before making a decision. Index annuities are not for everyone. We tell our clients if you don't understand it please don't buy it till you do. If we can offer you some help and direction please give us a call at 770-466-1000 or 1-800-659-1232 Ext. 4325.

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