Determining If an Annuity is Right for You

Today, there are many people, regarded as baby boomers, who are reaching retirement age. One consideration that many people this age are faced with is whether or not they want to purchase an annuity. First, it is important to understand that an annuity is a way to secure your income after retirement by guaranteeing you a lifetime salary. In many cases, an annuity can also provide income for your loved one or spouse after you die.

Over the course of your working life, chances are you have a SIPP or pension fund. An annuity converts your pension fund or SIPP into regular income. There are many benefits of purchasing an annuity but likewise there are many precautions that must be taken before the purchase is made final. Where benefits are concerned, you can chose to receive your annuity in yearly, half-yearly quarterly or monthly installments or you can choose to have the annuity income paid in advance or arrears. Other choices include level income that pays the same amount the rest of your life or escalating income that starts at a lower initial rate but increases annually.

You may discover that there are many more benefits to purchasing a retirement annuity. The best way to discover more of how an annuity can benefit you during your retirement years, you can start by seeking more information from one of the many helpful Internet websites. For example, once the cooling off period of a conventional annuity has passed, you cannot move it to another annuity provide or change the options selected at the initial purchase. For this reason and many others, it is very imperative to take your time deciding which annuity is right for you.

Many annuity providers are generally the same but you should take into account the rate being offered as well as the stability of the company and their financial strength. Choosing one of the pension annuity rates that suits your needs for retirement income is not something that can be done casually. These factors are important because you will be with this same company the rest of your life. It only takes a relatively short period of time to set up your annuity once the decision making process is complete but the process cannot be rushed.

Some delays are in getting your annuity arranged can be due to the pension provider's conditions. Sometimes it can take an extensive amount of time get your funds transfer from your pension provider to the annuity provider you've chosen. The usual amount of time it takes to arrange an annuity, however, is between three and eight weeks. With a conventional annuity, once it is set up, if you have one of the best annuity rates selected, you are guaranteed this rate for life. The small window of change is only during the two weeks that your funds are being transferred from your pension provider. If the rate is significantly different, you will receive a final quote for acceptance and you are entitled to find a more suitable provider if you are not satisfied.