There is a wealth of information online to support people interested in purchasing annuity products, as well as the brokers and advisors who sell them. In this advanced technological time, online tools are crucial to the annuity industry and help overall annuity sales. In “Online tools, information, research support annuity sales,” LifeHealthPro’s Peggy Bresnick gathered a list of some of the most important sites available for this type of research. These online resources can help explain the benefits of annuities and make advisors more reputable with their knowledge. Clients can educate themselves and advisors can better determine the suitability of annuity products for the clients. There are hundreds of sites and tools out there, so it is also important to use a trusted resource when searching for information. Unbiased resources are certainly out there and can help with retirement planning and understanding the benefits and drawbacks of annuities.
Everyone should use a retirement calculator to figure out how much money they will need to save to retire or how their money will work to create an income stream. Many insurance companies offer retirement calculators online, but there are also a lot of government sites offering this tool as well. FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority), AARP, bankrate.com and CNN Money all offer helpful retirement calculators. They help you determine your retirement readiness, including if you have saved enough money to finance your retirement. Retirement calculators give you a comprehensive look at your financials and your future retirement. They also help advisors to help clients create a successful retirement plan and demonstrate how annuities can provide an income stream that works in your retirement plan.
There are also many industry organizations and non-profits out there spreading unbiased annuity information. NAFA (The National Association for Fixed Annuities), The IALC (Indexed Annuity Leadership Council), The IRI (Insured Retirement Institute) and NOLHGA (The National Organization of Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Associations) all offer important annuity and life insurance information. These online resources can be used to explain the terms associated with different kinds of annuities. They also offer financial strength ratings for insurance companies. You can find out the benefits and drawbacks of using annuity products as well as the difference between different types of annuities. Fixed, variable, indexed and deferred income annuities work in different ways and provide the solution to different financial needs. Each annuity organization is working to spread awareness about annuities and make sure that the general public has correct information.
In addition to resources like online retirement calculations and information from industry organizations, there is also a lot of annuity research that can be found online right now. Business schools and economists are researching the use of annuity products as it becomes clear that there is a great need for creating an income stream during retirement. Social Security is the ultimate annuity providing guaranteed lifetime income, but many people won’t have benefits that cover all of their expenses in retirement. It’s certainly important to find research that is unbiased and there is truly a lot of it out there. The TIAA-CREF Institute’s “How Retirees Manage Retirement Savings for Retirement Income” looked at why people bought annuities and how those who own annuities compare financially to those who don’t own one. They found that people who have annuity products generally maintain a greater lifestyle that they thought they would in retirement. Towers Watson’s “Annuities and Retirement Happiness” summarized research from the University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Survey which found that people who own annuities are typically happier than those who don’t.
You can find online retirement calculators, industry organization information, and research from universities and economists to help you learn more about annuity products. Annuity FYI offers unbiased information about annuity products as well. Ensure that you are looking at unbiased sources and do your homework when it comes to researching annuities. Online tools are very helpful for finding information about the benefits and drawbacks of annuities.
Written by Rachel Summit
