annuities Archives - Runnymede Capital Management

An impartial review of the Allianz Index Advantage Income Variable Annuity

The annuity business has grown in popularity as investors, especially those nearing retirement, look for options that protect them from stock market volatility and provide a decent income stream in retirement. With over $200 billion in annual sales, the annuity industry is big business with lots of salespeople trying to persuade you to make a purchase.

Today, I will dig deep into the Allianz Index Advantage Income Annuity, one of the insurance industry's newest innovations. Registered index-linked annuities, RILAs also known as buffer annuities, appeal to investors who are risk averse but also need growth because they offer some downside protection in exchange for a cap on a stock index's upside performance. If it sounds attractive, you're not alone. Sales of RILAs rose 38% to $4.9 billion in the first quarter of 2020.

Finding safe returns in a zero interest rate environment

The Federal Reserve recently signaled that it's likely to keep interest rates at zero through 2023. This is bad news for savers and retirees who are looking for a safe place to park their cash. Gone are the days where you could leave money in a bank to earn 4-5%. In response, investors have been forced to take more risk, often investing in lower quality bonds or more stocks. Faced with a weakened economy from a global pandemic and an uncertain Presidential election, where can retirees look for a safe return? One potential solution is multi-year guaranteed annuities (MYGAs).

An impartial review of the Allianz Index Advantage Variable Annuity – updated August 2021

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in September 2020 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

If you are looking for our review of the Allianz Index Advantage Income Variable Annuity, please click here. The Income version has an income rider attached.

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Today, I will dig deep into the Allianz Index Advantage Annuity, one of the insurance industry's newest innovations. Registered index-linked annuities, RILAs also known as buffer annuities, appeal to investors who are risk averse but also need growth because they offer some downside protection in exchange for a cap on a stock index's upside performance. If it sounds attractive, you're not alone. Sales of RILAs rose 38% to $4.9 billion in the first quarter of 2020.

Can index annuities provide stock market returns?

For several years, I have written in-depth annuity reviews because there is little information about these complex products. Many retirees are being enticed by free dinner seminars and promises of huge returns with no risk. I give an A+ to insurance companies for producing a product that they claim to be “no fee” (are you kidding me? Fees are simply hidden so you can't see them), no downside risk (yes true) and still has the potential for stock market returns (too good to be true). Let's take a look at that last piece and the topic of this blog post: can index annuities provide stock market returns?

What is the Allianz 222’s extra premium bonus worth?

The Allianz 222 annuity has been one of the best-selling index annuities for several years now as I wrote my first review of the product in May 2014. For two months through September 17th, they have increased the premium bonus from 22% to 30% (25% in NJ and OR) which gives the protected income value a nice espresso shot from day 1. Because this is being sold by agents extra hard, I have received several calls from people looking for advice. Given that many seem confused as to how the bonus works, and no it doesn't give a boost to your account value, I thought it would be a good idea to have a stand alone blog post for this topic. So let's take a look at how it works, I will walk you through some of the numbers so you know what you are buying before signing on that dotted line.

An impartial review of the Allianz 222 Annuity – updated August 2021

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Editor's Note: This post was originally published in May 2014 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.

Through September 17, 2018, the premium bonus has increased from 22% to 30%. Read more in my latest blog post “What is the Allianz 222's extra premium bonus worth?”

The annuity business has grown in popularity as investors, especially those nearing retirement, look for options to protect themselves from stock market volatility and give them a decent income stream in retirement. With over $200 billion in annual sales, the annuity industry is big business with lots of salesmen trying to persuade you to make a purchase.

Today I will dig deep into the Allianz 222 Annuity which was launched in January of 2013 and was one of the best-selling indexed annuities in the industry for the 4th quarter of 2013. Sales of indexed annuities, a fixed annuity that provides a minimum guaranteed rate of interest combined with an interest rate tied to the movement of an index, increased to $39.3 billion in 2013, a 17% gain year over year. This is the biggest percentage increase of any form of annuity.