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Common Annuity Myths

Common Annuity Myths

When shopping for an annuity you’ll likely discover mountains of information, many different points of view, and even myths. How do you sort it all out? To help you make better decisions about what’s right for you, here are the facts behind four of the most common annuity myths.

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Myth number 1

Myth #1

“If I die before I’ve taken out all of my money, the insurance company keeps the rest.”

Truth

With today’s annuities, in most cases this myth is no longer true. Prior to annuitization a guaranteed minimum death benefit will ensure your beneficiaries either get the full account value, or the cumulative purchase payments adjusted for withdrawals, whichever is higher.

In addition, many variable annuities offer optional spousal benefits, available for an additional fee, that provide for the surviving spouse to continue receiving lifetime income.

To help protect your money after annuitization, many annuities offer a guaranteed payment period that ensures any remaining payments due will continue to your beneficiary.

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Myth number 2

Myth #2

"I don’t need an annuity. I can easily create lifetime income from my retirement accounts.”

Truth

You can try to create an income stream from your retirement savings. But your investments may not perform as expected, or, if you live longer than expected, you may either need to decrease your income and adjust your investment mix, or risk running out of money. An annuity with an optional living benefit, on the other hand, can provide guaranteed income for your entire life. And if you co-own an annuity with a spouse, your annuity can be structured to guarantee income for the duration of both your lives.

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Myth number 3

Myth #3

"Annuities have high fees.”

Truth

There are fees associated with annuities. However, in exchange for these fees you can take advantage of valuable benefits such as tax deferral, a guaranteed minimum death benefit, and income guarantees, none of which may be available with other investment products. Because investors are transferring their risk to the insurance company, fees are charged for this added value. Many investors find the trade-off between higher fees and higher value to be a sensible one.

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Myth number 4

Myth #4

“With an annuity, I lose control of my money.”

Truth

With previous generations of annuities, you needed to give up control of your money in return for lifetime income. But some of today’s annuities are far more flexible, giving you the option of withdrawing a portion of your funds before electing income, often without a penalty. It is true that once you annuitize, you can’t access the money or transfer it out of the annuity and into other investment vehicles.

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We offer a variety of annuity solutions to help meet your retirement income needs.

See Our Annuities

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footnote

Investors should consider the features of the contract and the underlying portfolios’ investment objectives, policies, management, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. This and other important information is contained in the prospectus, which can be obtained on the prospectus page or from your financial professional. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing.

Annuity contracts contain exclusions, limitations, reductions of benefits and terms for keeping them in force. Your licensed financial professional can provide you with complete details.

All guarantees, including optional benefits, are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuing company and do not apply to the underlying investment options.

A variable annuity is a long-term investment designed for retirement purposes. Investment returns and the principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s units, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than the original investment. Withdrawals or surrenders may be subject to contingent deferred sales charges. Withdrawals and distributions of taxable amounts are subject to ordinary income tax and, if made prior to age 59½, may be subject to an additional 10% federal income tax penalty, sometimes referred to as an additional income tax. Withdrawals reduce the account value and death benefit.

Optional benefits may not be available in every state and may not be elected in conjunction with certain optional benefits. Optional benefits have certain investment, holding period, liquidity, and withdrawal limitations and restrictions. The benefit fees are in addition to fees and charges associated with the basic annuity. Please see the prospectus for more information.

For Compliance Use Only: 1000622-00003-00

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